Recipe. Tyrolean bacon dumplings

Dumplings: a humble dish, rich in flavour.
Bacon dumplings are a very popular dish in Tyrolean cuisine. As is so often the case, a country’s traditional dishes have very simple or even humble origins.

Dumplings are small ‘bread balls’ measuring approx. 4–6 cm in diameter, originating from the humble peasant tradition and originally widespread throughout the Alpine region. Leftovers were often used to make the dumplings. The only ingredients that were never in short supply in a household were bread, eggs and milk.

For about 4 people, you will need the following ingredients:

• 280 g bread rolls (or 6 stale bread rolls)
• 1/4 l milk
• 2 eggs
• 100 g very finely diced bacon
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 40 g butter
• a pinch of salt
• a little flour

Here’s how to make the famous bacon dumplings:

Whisk together the milk and eggs and pour over the bread. Dice the onion into small cubes, fry in butter, and fry the bacon in the same way. Add to the breadcrumbs together with the chopped parsley. Season with salt and mix everything together well. If necessary, add a little flour to give the mixture more firmness.

Shape the mixture into dumplings (this is easiest with wet hands) and leave them to simmer in gently boiling salted water for about a quarter of an hour.

Tyrolean bacon dumplings are traditionally served with sauerkraut or in soup.