Dumplings with Sauerkraut and Mushrooms Recipe
Dumplings with sauerkraut and mushrooms are a Polish Christmas Eve classic, but many people are happy to eat them all year round. They are aromatic, slightly sour from the sauerkraut and have a forest aroma thanks to dried mushrooms. You can compare them to small dumplings from Asian cuisines, except they are boiled and often then pan-fried until golden.
Dumplings with sauerkraut and mushrooms are the essence of festive flavours – sour cabbage and dried forest mushrooms create a deep, umami-rich filling that’s hard to confuse with anything else. Although they are mainly associated with Christmas Eve, their bold flavour means they also shine outside the holiday season, for example as a dish for a weekend get-together with friends. The delicate, elastic dough wraps the aromatic filling, and once pan-fried after boiling, they gain a crispy, golden crust.
Chef's tips
Knead the dough until it is smooth and springy – if you let it rest under cover for 20–30 minutes, it will be much easier to roll out. It’s best to squeeze the sauerkraut very well and chop it finely, and chop the mushrooms really small so the filling can be wrapped easily without tearing the dough. Drop the dumplings into vigorously boiling salted water in batches and stir gently with a wooden spoon only at the beginning so they don’t stick to the bottom.
How to serve
For Christmas Eve, serve them with a little clarified butter and fried onion, or as a side to clear red borscht. After the holidays they taste fantastic reheated in a pan, with a crispy crust, as a quick after-work dinner. Dried-fruit compote or a dry black tea are great drinks to accompany them, nicely balancing the intensity of the mushrooms.
Ingredients
- flour type 450–500 - 500 g
- hot water (not boiling) about, add more if needed - 260 ml
- oil for the dough - 2 tablespoons
- salt for the dough - 0.5 teaspoons
- sauerkraut if very sour, rinse lightly with water - 500 g
- dried mushrooms porcini or bay boletes; can be replaced with button mushrooms - 40 g
- onion medium - 2 pieces
- oil or clarified butter for frying the filling - 3 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- allspice - 4 grains
- black pepper to taste
- salt for the filling to taste
Preparation
- Pour hot water over the dried mushrooms so they are completely covered. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, preferably for a few hours, until they soften.
- If the sauerkraut is very sour, briefly rinse it under running water and squeeze out well. Then chop it more finely with a knife.
- Transfer the sauerkraut to a pot, add the bay leaf and allspice and pour in just enough water to barely cover it. Cook over low heat for 40–50 minutes, until it softens and most of the water evaporates. If needed, add a little water during cooking.
- Drain the soaked mushrooms (do not pour the soaking liquid away), rinse thoroughly to remove any sand and chop finely. If using button mushrooms, cut them into small cubes.
- Peel the onions and cut them into small cubes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or clarified butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 5–7 minutes over medium heat until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and fry for another 5–7 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture is fragrant.
- Add the cooked and well-squeezed sauerkraut to the onions and mushrooms. Fry everything together for 10–15 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until the filling is fairly dry and well combined. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
- Put the flour and salt into a large bowl. Pour in the hot water and oil. Mix with a spoon, and when the dough cools slightly, knead by hand for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 3–4 portions. Roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface into a sheet about 2 mm thick.
- Cut out circles with a glass or cutter. Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each circle.
- Fold the circle in half, sealing the edges firmly with your fingers. You can press the edges with a fork for extra security so the dumplings don’t open during cooking.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings in batches, gently stirring with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick to the bottom.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes from the moment the dumplings float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- You can serve the dumplings immediately or, once cooled, pan-fry them on both sides until golden.
Storage
Cooked dumplings keep well in the fridge for 2–3 days. Store them in a closed container, lightly coated with oil so they don’t stick together. Reheat by pan-frying in a little fat until hot and golden, or briefly reboil in salted water.
