Cepelinai Recipes

LITHUANIAN CEPELINAI: POTATO DUMPLINGS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE & BACON

Steps:

• Divide the potatoes into 2 batches. Chop one batch into large chunks and boil for 15-20 mins until tender, then drain and mash. Finely grate the remaining potatoes using the smallest blade on a grater and tip into a large bowl lined with a clean tea towel. Bring the edges of the tea towel together and squeeze tightly to expel any liquid; keep 2 tbsp of this juice and discard the rest. In another large mixing bowl, add the reserved potato juice, the grated potato, mashed potato and half of the beaten egg. Beat everything together well, season, set aside to cool, then chill while you prepare the filling.
• Mix together the shallot, pork mince, caraway seeds, garlic, remaining egg and some seasoning.
• Mix 1 tbsp of flour into your potato mixture and divide into 8. Dust the work surface with flour and make sure there is flour on your hands too, as the mixture can be quite sticky. Lightly shape the potato dough into flat round patties, approximately 1cm thick. Put 1 heaped tsp of the pork filling in the middle of each patty, then gently pull the dough up and around to encase the pork and form a dumpling. Roll them in your hands to achieve the signature zeppelin shape. Repeat with the rest of the patties and filling.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Carefully lower in the dumplings, cover and simmer gently for 30 mins. Keep an eye on this - the water must not boil or the dumplings won't hold their shape.
• Meanwhile, grill the bacon until crisp, then chop into very small pieces and set aside. To make the sauce, pour 100ml of boiling water over the dried porcini and leave to stand for 5 mins. In a saucepan, heat the butter and add the shallots, frying gently until they are soft and translucent. Add the chestnut mushrooms and cook for 5 mins more. When they are cooked, pour in 1 tbsp of the liquor from the porcini and discard the rest. Chop the porcini and add them to the pan. Fold in the crème fraîche, bring to a simmer, then season.
• Put 2 dumplings on each plate and pour over the mushroom sauce. Sprinkle the dill and bacon pieces over just before serving with green veg and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

CEPELINAI

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes. Crush the vitamin C pill and place in a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, press the juice of half a lemon.
• Grate the raw potatoes with an electric or manual potato grater into the bowl. Regularly mix the potatoes so they do not turn dark.
• Place some of the grated potatoes into a cheesecloth over a separate bowl and squeeze until the potatoes are almost dry. Repeat with the remaining grated potatoes.
• Slowly pour away the potato juice from the bowl to collect the layer of potato starch settled at the bottom of the bowl.
• Incorporate the potato starch with the drained grated potatoes, add salt and knead until well combined.

CEPELINAI (MEAT & POTATO DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Cook the onion and garlic with 1 tsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove half the mixture from the pan and put in a large bowl to cool. When cool, add the mince and egg, season well and mix together. Remove the rest of the onions and garlic from the pan and put in another bowl.
• Heat the remaining ½ tsp oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and fry the pancetta for a couple of minutes until the fat starts to melt. Tip in the reserved onions and garlic and cook for 8-10 mins until golden. Set aside.
• Take a third of the potatoes, chop each into four and put in a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins until cooked. Drain in a colander, then leave to steam-dry for 5 mins. Crush the potatoes as smooth as you can with a masher or use a potato ricer.
• Finely grate the remaining raw potatoes using a food processor. Squeeze the grated potatoes through a muslin or tea towel over a bowl to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Set the bowl of liquid aside and after 5-10 mins it will separate with the potato starch at the bottom of the bowl. Carefully drain off the water, then scrape the starch back into the bowl of raw potatoes. Stir in the citric acid or lemon juice - this will prevent the cepelinai becoming very dark. Add the cooked mashed potato to the raw, add the 2 tbsp potato starch or cornflour, season well and mix to combine.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Season the potato mixture and shape into palm-sized 2cm thin cakes. Add the mince mixture and roll between your palms into large egg shapes, packing the potato around the mince tightly - it helps to wet your hands for this. Add them to the simmering water one at a time and cook for 20-25 mins - when they float to the surface they are done.
• To serve, warm up the pancetta mix. Put two cepelinai on each plate, add a dollop of soured cream and top with the pancetta mix and dill.

LITHUANIAN POTATO-MEAT DUMPLINGS (CEPELINAI)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix together ground meat, finely chopped onion, the salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the egg until well combined.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Add the lemon juice to the raw grated potatoes so they don't turn brown.
• Place them in a fine-mesh cheesecloth or cotton dishtowel, and twist over a large bowl to get rid of the excess water.
• Pour off the water, reserving the potato starch at the bottom of the bowl.
• Unwrap the cheesecloth and place the raw potatoes in the bowl with the potato starch you reserved from the bottom of the bowl.
• Add the cooked riced potatoes, grated onion, and the salt, more to taste. Mix well.
• Put a large stockpot of well-salted water on to boil.
• To form the zeppelins, take about 1 cup of dumpling mixture and pat it flat in the palm of the hand.
• Place 1/4 cup or more of meat mixture in the center and, using slightly dampened hands, fold the potato mixture around the meat into a football shape, sealing well. Continue until both mixtures are used.
• Carefully lower dumplings (in batches if necessary to prevent crowding) into salted, boiling water to which 1 tablespoon of cornstarch has been added (to prevent dumplings from falling apart). Make sure water returns to the boil; reduce the heat to low and continue simmering until the filling is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon or strainer, drain briefly on a clean dish towel and place on a heated platter.
• Gather the ingredients.
• While the dumplings are boiling, make the gravy. In a medium skillet, fry the bacon and chopped onion until tender.
• Drain and combine with sour cream and black pepper. Thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk if necessary.
• Ladle the gravy over the dumplings or pass the gravy at the table.

TINGINIO CEPELINAI (CHEESE DUMPLINGS) - LITHUANIAN

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, farina, potato starch, egg and salt. I first stir with a spoon, but then knead it right in the bowl with my hand, to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed. Cover and let it stand while you make the filling. (Letting it stand about 10 or 15 minutes lets the farina hydrate and I think makes the dough hold together better).
• Saute the onion in the oil in a small saucepan until translucent.
• Add to the remaining filling ingredients in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly.
• Divide into four portions and form into small sausage shapes. Cover.
• Sprinkle two or three tablespoons of potato starch onto a large plate and set aside.
• Fill 2 or 3 quart saucepan with water, add salt, and bring to a boil while making the dumplings.
• Divide the dough into four portions - I do this right in the bowl, just cutting through it with a knife.
• Dampen your hands with cool water before forming each dumpling. Take one portion of the dough and flatten it on the palm of one hand into an oval.
• Place on portion of the filling onto the dough and form the dough around it into an oval shape - it's important to make the exterior very smooth, without any cracks or seams - this will keep them dumplings from splitting as they cook.
• Place the dumpling onto the potato-starch-sprinkled plate and roll it around to dredge in the starch.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• When they are all done, carefully place each dumpling into the pot of boiling water. They should fit without crowding or overlapping. If there is any potato starch left on the plate, just scrape it right into the water, as well.
• Let the water return to a boil and reduce it to a slow boil - more than a simmer, but not a full out boil.
• Cook for about 10 minutes after it returns to a boil.
• While these cook, make the sauce.
• Chop the bacon and saute it in a small saucepan.
• As it starts to get translucent, add the mushrooms and butter, and saute until cooked through.
• Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon, plate and cover with sauce.
• Note1: "Varske" is what we call farmers' cheese in Lithuanian. Tvarog is widely available in many places and is essentially the same. You want to use one that is whole milk or made from not less than 2% milk. Leaner cheese will not hold together as well - probably you would need more potato starch.
• Note2: The mushrooms are not traditional in the sauce, but I like them, and that way I am not using as much bacon. However, you can serve with just melted butter and sour cream, or any similar sauce that you might have in your files. To reduce calories, you can just saute some mushrooms and perhaps have a little sour cream on the side.
• Note3: I've made this with both ground beef and ground pork. I intend to make a cheese filling also, and I think a mushroom filling would also be very good, if you want to keep this vegetarian.
• Note on Servings: We will eat two each, with that making up our entire meal. If you serve with soup, some veggies, etc., in a more usual fashion, you can probably serve 3 or 4 people.
• Cheese filling: Take about 4 ounces of the farmers' cheese and place in a small bowl. Add the minced green top of one scallion, a pinch of salt and about 1 tbl of cooked minced bacon (I just take from the sauce). You might need a little of the bacon grease to help mix it together. Minced mint or tarragon is traditional, but I had none. I mixed it well and divided into six sections. I then divided the dough into six sections. Cheese filled dumplings are traditionally smaller. Make then as above, but form them into round balls - again, the shape is traditional when using a cheese filling. They will take a minute or two less to cook.

POTATO CEPELINAI

Steps:

• For the potatoes:.
• Put the grated potatoes into a large piece of fine-mesh cheesecloth or smooth kitchen towel, grabbing corners together to form a pouch. Wring the towel over a bowl, straining the excess liquid from the grated potatoes through the cloth, squeezing firmly with your hands until the potatoes are as dry as possible. Put the potatoes into a mixing bowl. Reserve the liquid. Let the starch settle to the bottom of the bowl of liquid, then pour the liquid off; add the starch back to the potatoes. Mash the boiled potatoes or run them through a ricer, and then add to the grated ones. Add the eggs and a dash of salt and knead well.
• For the meat:.
• Combine the beef, pork, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl. Mix well with your hands. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
• For cooking the cepelinai:.
• Bring a large wide pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, roll about 1-cupful of the potato mixture into a ball with your hands. Gently flatten it into a 1/2-inch-thick round patty. Place 1/4 cup of the meat mixture into the center of the potatoes. Cup your hands together to seal the potato into a football shape, gently forming into an oval. Repeat forming more cepelinais with the remaining potato and meat mixtures.
• Gently slip the cepelinai into the boiling water, allowing the water to return to a boil before the next dumpling is added. Do not overcrowd the cepelinai in the pot. Stir carefully and occasionally. Boil until the dumplings are translucent and the meat is cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the dumplings using a slotted spoon, drain and place on a heated platter.
• For the bacon sauce:.
• Cook the bacon and onions in a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the onions are lightly browned. Pour off some of the excess fat. For richer gravy, stir the sour cream carefully into the bacon-onion mixture. Blend well but do not boil. You can also serve the sour cream on the side. Spoon the bacon and onions over the cepelinais and serve.