Food

Szilvásgombóc

November 23, 2020

Szilvásgombóc

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Every cuisine emerges from a meeting of cultures and histories. And this is just the case with the szilvásgombóc.

Austria-Hungary, the former Habsburg Empire, and the political units that have succeeded it, have one of the richest sweet food traditions in the world. Much of this has to do with its location at the heart of Europe. Despite its disbandment in 1918, today, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and even parts of Poland, Italy, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine all share a similar heritage.

Following the Counter-Reformation, the region became mostly Catholic. This meant that on liturgical fast days, meat, eggs and dairy were banned. Thus, Central European cooks turned to flour-based foods such as dumplings which were sweetened with fruit. Within the Empire, cooking and baking techniques and recipes were often freely interchanged. And so, the szilvásgombóc was born. These sweet dumplings made from potatoes and flour and stuffed with plums in the centre are a typical Hungarian dessert. Their origins are based in traditional Austrian gastronomy, where these dumplings are known by the name 'Knödel'. This word itself derives from the Latin word nōdus (meaning knot) through to the Old High German chnodo and the Middle High German knode.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1kg potatoes • 8 plums • Powdered sugar - according to taste • Cinnamon - according to taste • 50g flour • 1 egg • 1 bowl breadcrumbs • 100g butter

3) Sprinkle with flour and add the egg yolk and butter. Knead, adding more flour if necessary; 4) Roll the dough on a board and separate, making sure to stretch half of it at a time. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot;

Method:

1) Cut the plums in half and place a teaspoon of cinnamon powder in the centre of each in place of the stone; 2) Cut the potatoes into cubes, cook them until boiled in salted water, then drain well, cover them on a kneading board and mash them while they are still hot, then allow them to cool completely;

5) Cut the stretched dough into cubes, place around each of the plums and shape into dumplings; 6) Place them in the pot of boiling water, then when they rise to the surface, cook for another 2-3 minutes, ensuring that the plums within are cooked;

7) Pan-fry the breadcrumbs in butter until brown, then mix with the cinnamon and powdered sugar; 8) Finally, roll the cooked plum dumplings in the breadcrumb, cinnamon and powdered sugar mixture.