Hungarian Pork Dumpling Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the soup

2 quarts/2 liters water
1 quart/1 liter beef stock
1 small ham hock
¼ white cabbage (thinly sliced)
2 carrots, peeled, cut into ¾-inch/2-cm dice
2 celery stalks, cut into ¾-inch/2-cm dice
½ celery root, peeled, cut into ¾-inch/2-cm dice
1 red onion, cut into ¾-inch/2-cm dice
1 leek, cut into ¾-inch/2-cm dice
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/75 g all purpose flour
5 tablespoons/75 g unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dumpling filling:

½ pound/250 g ground pork
1 leek (white part only), finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons/12 g paprika
1 tablespoon/10 g chopped fresh marjoram
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon/about 1 g cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the potato dumplings:

5 ounces/150 g rock salt
1-2 large russet potatoes (about 3 pounds/1 ¼ kilos)
1 large egg yolk
4 tablespoons/50g unsalted butter, room temperature
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cups/100 g all purpose flour

For serving:

4 teaspoons/20 ml extra virgin olive oil

Method:

To make the soup:

Place the water, stock and ham hock in a large heavy pot over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 2 hours, or until the liquid reduces by half.  Remove the ham hock and skim the stock to remove any foam that rises to the top of the stock.  Toss the carrots, celery, celery root, onion and leek in a large bowl with the flour to coat.

In another large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour-coated vegetables. Stir for 5 minutes over medium-high heat until the flour from the vegetables begins to brown and sticks to the bottom of the pot. Gradually add the skimmed hot stock to the vegetables in the pot, stirring constantly. Add the sliced cabbage.  Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, constantly skimming any foam that rises to the top. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the dumpling filling:

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients with your hands to blend, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate the filling until ready to assemble the dumplings.

To make the dumplings:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Sprinkle the rock salt on a small baking sheet and place the potatoes on top of the salt. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 35 minutes.

Prick the potatoes with a fork, allowing the steam to escape, and continue to bake for another 35 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and a metal skewer passes easily through the potatoes. Remove the potatoes from the oven.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and allow to cool. Using a small spoon, scoop out of the flesh from the potatoes; discard the skins.  Press the potatoes though a potato ricer and into a large mixing bowl. Mix the egg yolk and butter into the potatoes and season with the sea salt and pepper. Stir in the flour just until a dough forms (take care not to overwork the dough).

Press out the dough on a large flat dry surface to approximately 1 ¼ inches/3 cm thick. Cut the dough into 2-inch-/ 5-cm-square pieces. Place a heaping teaspoon/about 10 g of the pork filling in the center of one piece of dough.  Fold up all 4 corners of the dough to encase the pork filling completely. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

To serve:

Carefully place the dumplings into the gently simmering soup and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through.Ladle the soup and dumplings into bowls, drizzle with the olive oil and serve.