Recipe: Semmelknödel
GERMAN BREAD DUMPLINGS WITH CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE
Bellbird’s team is genuinely international, and this recipe comes from the brand manager and hobby chef Regina, who grew up eating and making these “Semmelknödel” in Germany. It’s a practical, no-waste dish – any leftover rolls, ciabatta, or sourdough will do.
Served with a mushroom and thyme cream sauce, they work well as a vegetarian main. They’re just as good alongside a roast, in place of potatoes. If you’re serving them with meat, Prep Chef Valerie suggests using wheat beer instead of milk for extra depth of flavour.
It’s a straightforward, comforting dish and a good way to use up bread that would otherwise go to waste. Worth trying on a cold night, with the sauce, or your favourite roast.
Dumplings
250g cubed stale bread
2 onions
20g parsley
30g butter
150ml milk
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
Zest of ½ sprayfree lemon
Pepper
Sauce
350g mushrooms
Zest of 1 sprayfree lemon
1 onion (finely chopped)
A splash of white wine
Thyme and rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oil or butter
500ml cream
Salt and pepper
SERVES 4
Dice the onions, sauté in butter, then add milk to warm through. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, stir in the lukewarm onion-milk mixture, salt and pepper. Fold in the dried bread cubes, parsley, and lemon zest, then leave to soak for 30 minutes while a large pot of salted water comes to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, tend to the sauce. Add the diced onion and garlic to a pan with some butter, and add the mushrooms and fry until golden. Season with thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, then deglaze with wine. Once reduced, stir in the cream and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Wet your hands with water and roll the mixture into balls, adding breadcrumbs or a little flour if loose. Test one in the simmering water – keep it gentle, never a rolling boil – then cook the rest until they float.