There is a specific time and place that the smell of Knödelgröstl (Austrian fried dumplings) takes me to. Opa (grandad) would ponder what to cook us as kids when Omi (grandma) was out and about. It wasn't that he was shy of cooking - he was a magnificent cook - but after a heavy day of gardening, grafting and spending time cycling around with us in the Valley of Gasteinertal, Opa needed quick solutions.

Often that solution was Knödelgröstl. Taking left over Knödel (Austrian dumplings) from the day before and turning it into something to fill the heart and soul.

What folllows are two recipes. The first, how to make a simple Wurstknödel - Austrian dumplings with sausage meat. These can be used in their own right complimented by a soup or sauce (perhaps even Goulasch). The second is an idea of how to transform the Knödel into Knödelgröstl!

Recipe 1: Omi's Knödel

Ingredients:

• 0.5KG Knödelbrot - dry cubed bread. Okay, we clearly use this (https://austrianfood.co.uk/fischer-kaisersemmelw%C3%BCrfel-kn%C3%B6delbrot-uk) but we have also had success with buyng French baguettes, cutting them into 1cm cubes and leaving them to dry for a few days until hard.
• 2 eggs
• 0.5L milk
• 1 tsp salt
• Handful of fresh (ideally) or 1tsp dried parsely and chives
• 250g of cured Austrian-style/German-style sausage (we use this: https://austrianfood.co.uk/stastnik-arlberger-sausage-lower-austria-uk)

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl with a wooden spoon or your hands. If it feels is too soft and sticky, add a little extra bread cubes; if too dry, a little more milk. You are aiming for a moist, slightly sticky breadmix.
2. Put a dishcloth over the bowl and leave to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature
3. Use your hands to work the mixture for a couple of minutes. Then mould them into spherical shapes, 8-10cm wide.
4. Simmer - not boil - in salted water for 15-20 minutes depending on the size you went for
5. Voila! If you don't want to eat them all, they are good to freeze.

Transforming Knödel to Knödelgröstel

Ingredients

• 2x Knödel, sliced (about 2cm thick - not too thin or they will fall apart)
• 2x eggs
• 1x large white onion, roughly chopped
• Ghee or clarified butter. If you can't then rapeseed oil will do
• Fresh parsely or chives
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Warm up the ghee/butter/oil in a large frying pan
2. Gently fry the onions until they are soft and begin to become translucent
3. add the Knödel - you want to fry until a crust develops on them.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Throw in the herbs and stir
6. Make some space at the centre of your pan and crack in the eggs. Fry to your taste
7. Job done! Eat, feel very full, lie on the couch

Let us know what you think!