STARTERS


Kaspressknödel are round, flat, cheese dumplings from the Alpine region of western Austria. They’re made by forming bread crumbs and cubes of hard cheese into balls, which are pressed into patties and browned before being served with a salad or sauerkraut, or in a meat or onion broth. The latter makes for a fortifying lunch after a morning on the slopes or, in the case of this kaspressknödelsuppe, a wonderfully healing hangover cure.


Hangover soup with cheese dumplings (katersuppe mit kaspressknödel) by Meredith Erickson SERVES 4 TAKES: 45 MINS PLUS AT LEAST 4 HRS SIMMERING


INGREDIENTS 15g unsalted butter 1 yellow onion, finely diced 240ml beef stock 5 thin slices white bread, crusts removed 85g chewy, soft pretzel, thinly sliced 170g mashed potato 200g mixed cheeses (such as tilsit and emmental), diced


1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp minced fresh oregano ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg ¼ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp caraway seeds 2 eggs, lightly beaten ¼ cup olive oil fresh chives, finely chopped, to garnish


FOR THE SOUP 2 yellow onions, skin on, halved 5 juniper berries, coarsely crushed 5 whole cloves, coarsely crushed 900g beef rump 900g small marrow bones


1 leek, roots removed 2 carrots 1 small, fist-size celeriac or parsley root, coarsely diced


1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley 1 small bunch lovage 2 bay leaves 2 empty eggshells splash of ruby port


METHOD Start by making the soup. Set a


large pot over a medium-high heat and add the onions, facedown, along with the juniper berries and cloves. Dry-fry, without stirring, until quite seriously browned but not blackened, around 5 mins. Add the beef, marrow bones, leek, carrots, celeriac, parsley, lovage, bay leaves and 4 litres water (pour in more water, if needed, to cover the ingredients). Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then turn to very low and simmer for a minimum of 4 hrs, but preferably overnight. Before you go to bed, add the eggshells to the pot; this will help clarify the liquid. The next day, strain the liquid


through a fine-mesh sieve into another pot, gently pressing the vegetables and meat to extract


that last bit of flavour. Season the soup with salt and pepper, then stir in the port. Set aside to cool. Melt the butter in a frying pan set


over a medium-high heat. Add the onion; sauté for 5 mins until translucent and starting to brown. Set aside. Pour 240ml of the soup into a


medium bowl, then add the bread and pretzel pieces and soak for 15 mins until very soft. Stir in the mashed potato, cheeses, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, garlic powder, caraway seeds and sautéed onion until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs. Divide the mixture into eight balls,


then press them flat. Warm the soup over a gentle heat. Warm the olive oil in a large frying


pan set over a medium-high heat. Add the dumplings and fry until crispy and golden-brown, around 2-3 mins per side. Transfer to kitchen paper. To serve, divide the dumplings


between four bowls, ladle in the soup and garnish with the chives.


Taken from Alpine Cooking by Meredith Erickson (£38, Ten Speed Press)


NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL


35


IMAGES: LINDA XIAO; CHRISTINE HOLMES


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