Lithuanian Cepelinai

• Serves: 12
• Source
• Contributor: MikeCrute

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 lb pork, minced
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Dumplings

• 10 russet potatoes, medium, peeled and grated
• 2 russet potatoes, large, peeled, boiled, and minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp salt

Gravy

• 1/2 lb bacon, finely diced
• 1 onion, large, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mushroom (porcini or chestnut) sliced
• 1 tbsp dill, chopped
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp black pepper, more to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare your meat filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork mince, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and the beaten egg. Set aside and refrigerate.
2. Now you will make the dumplings. First, to prevent browning, add lemon juice to the grated potatoes.
3. Put grated potatoes into a cheesecloth and bring over a bowl. Taking the corners of the cheesecloth, twist the grated potatoes to remove excess liquid, reserving it inside the bowl.
4. Take the potatoes from the cheesecloth and set them back into the same bowl with the excess potato starch. Add in the minced potatoes, onion, and salt. Mix and check salt levels, adding more to taste.
5. Now, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Take your meat filling from the refrigerator.
6. While the water is heating, begin to form the dumplings. Take roughly a cup of the dough and place it in your hand. Flatten it to create a patty-like shape.
7. Put four heaping tablespoons, or about 1/.4 cup, of the meat filling into the center of the potato patty. Using the palm of your hand, fold the dough around the filling into an oblong, zeppelin-like shape.
8. Keep making the dumplings until all of the dough and filling have been used.
9. Set prepared dumplings aside on a plate and add cornstarch and salt to your boiling water.
10. Boil your dumplings. Depending on the size of your stock pot, this might need to be done in batches as overcrowded can cause the dough to stick together and fall apart when removed.
11. Using a stirring spoon, lower the dumplings into the water one by one.
12. Let the dumplings sit at a high boil for 30 seconds, then lower heat to a simmer and let cook for around 25 minutes. By the end, the filling should be completely cooked.
13. While your dumplings are boiling, use the time to make the gravy.
14. In a medium skillet or saucepan, cook the bacon until crispy and the onion until tender.
15. Once cooked, drain any excess grease and mix with sour cream and black pepper. Use the whole milk here to thin the gravy to your desired consistency.
16. When the dumplings are done cooking, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and drain them on a dish rack or dishcloth. Plate the dumplings and cover them with the gravy. Enjoy!

CategoryRecipesUntested CategoryRecipesDinner