A Taste of the Mines: Slovakia's Hearty Gemer Dumplings (Gemerské Guľky)
Details
A hearty potato dumpling from the old country, loaded with smoked meat and garlic.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the Potatoes
Boil the first batch of potatoes (700g) in their skins in salted water until tender. Once cooled, peel and press them through a potato ricer or grate them finely. For the second batch, peel the raw potatoes (1kg) and grate them on the finest side of your grater. Place the grated raw potatoes in a cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Important: Reserve the squeezed-out potato water (starch and all) for later.
Make the Filling
In a pan, melt half of the lard or oil and sauté the finely chopped onions until golden. Add the ground smoked meat and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Form the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the cooked, riced potatoes and the squeezed raw potatoes. Add the cooked meat and onion mixture, the minced garlic, egg, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the flour to form a firm but pliable dough. The amount of flour may vary depending on the starchiness of your potatoes.
Shape the Dumplings
With floured hands, take a portion of the dough and form it into large balls, roughly the size of your palm. Roll each dumpling in a light coating of all-purpose flour.
Cook the Dumplings
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pour in the reserved potato water/starch from step 1; this helps prevent the dumplings from falling apart. Carefully place the dumplings into the boiling water, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if necessary. Once the dumplings float to the surface, continue to cook them for another 7-10 minutes.
Prepare the Topping & Serve
While the dumplings are cooking, melt the remaining lard in a pan and fry the diced bacon until crispy. If desired, you can also fry sliced onions in the same pan. Serve the hot dumplings immediately, topped with the crispy bacon, fried onions, and a generous dollop of sour cream. They are also traditionally served with heated sauerkraut on the side.
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