Silesian Dumplings with Mushroom Sauce Recipe
Silesian dumplings are small, round potato dumplings with a characteristic indentation in the middle. In Poland they’re often served with meat and gravy, but they taste just as good in a meatless version – with a thick mushroom sauce. They’re a bit like Italian gnocchi, just in a firmer, Silesian style.
This dish combines classic Silesian potato dumplings with a rich, creamy mushroom sauce, creating a comforting, meat-free meal that still feels hearty and traditional.
Chef's tips
Work with completely cooled potatoes so the dough doesn’t absorb too much starch and stays elastic. Don’t overwork the dough and avoid adding too much starch, otherwise the dumplings will be tough instead of pleasantly springy.
How to serve
Serve the dumplings immediately after cooking, generously covered with hot mushroom sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley. For a fuller meal, add a side of braised cabbage or a simple green salad.
Ingredients
- starchy potatoes (e.g. type C) weight before peeling - 1 kg
- potato starch about 1/4 of the volume of mashed potatoes
- egg medium - 1 piece
- salt for the dumplings to taste
- button mushrooms - 400 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- butter for the sauce - 2 tablespoons
- 30% or 18% cooking cream - 150 ml
- vegetable stock or water - 200 ml
- wheat flour for thickening the sauce - 1 tablespoon
- pepper to taste
- salt for the sauce to taste
- parsley chopped, optional - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes, cut into pieces and cook in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes from boiling. Drain and set aside for a few minutes to let the steam evaporate.
- Mash the hot potatoes thoroughly with a masher or press them through a potato ricer so there are no lumps. Leave to cool completely.
- Transfer the cold potatoes to a bowl and level the surface. Visually divide the potato mass in the bowl into 4 equal parts.
- Remove 1/4 of the potatoes from the bowl and set aside. Fill the empty space with potato starch so that it occupies that 1/4 of the volume. Add the reserved potatoes back in.
- Add the egg and a pinch of salt. Quickly knead the dough until smooth and elastic. If it is very sticky, add a little more potato starch, but not too much so the dumplings don’t turn out hard.
- Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of a walnut, roll into balls, then press your finger into the center of each dumpling to make an indentation.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the dumplings in batches, stirring gently so they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook for 2–3 minutes from the moment they float to the surface. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- Clean the mushrooms, rinse briefly under running water and dry. Slice thinly.
- Peel the onion and dice finely.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 3–5 minutes over medium heat until softened and slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the mushrooms and fry for 8–10 minutes over medium heat until they soften and most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring from time to time.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms with wheat flour and mix quickly so the flour coats the mushrooms. Fry for 1 more minute.
- Gradually pour in the stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the cream, stir and cook over low heat for another 3–4 minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the Silesian dumplings topped with hot mushroom sauce and sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Storage
Ugotowane kluski możesz przechowywać w lodówce do 2 dni, polane odrobiną oleju, aby się nie sklejały. Sos przechowuj osobno. Kluski można też zamrozić po ugotowaniu. Podgrzewaj kluski w gorącej wodzie lub na patelni, sos w garnku na małym ogniu.
