Kopytka (Polish gnocchi) with bacon and mushrooms
by
Ren Behan's kopyta recipe is served with bacon and mushrooms for a lovely autumnal twist. Often called 'Polish gnocchi', kopyta are simple to make and incredibly comforting to eat. Extracted from Wild Honey and Rye by Ren Behan, published by Pavilion. Photographs by Yuki Sugiura.
Ingredients
Kopytka
- 500g of potatoes , such as Maris Piper or a heritage variety, peeled
- 250g of plain flour, plus extra for dusting (or use almong flour for a gluten-free version)
- 1 egg , beaten
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- vegetable oil, or olive oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 100g of bacon , preferably Polish boczek, or pancetta
- 200g of chanterelles , porcini or chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tsp chopped parsley
Method
1
Boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water until very soft. Drain and set to one side to steam dry. Once cool and very dry, mash until smooth. Leave the potatoes to cool completely or chill in the fridge
2
Place the cold mashed potato in a large bowl. Add the flour, beaten egg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Using a metal spoon, bring the mixture together, then tip it out onto a lightly floured board or work surface and knead until all the flour is incorporated into the potato. The dough should be fairly soft and springy, but not too sticky
3
Sprinkle a little more flour onto the board and cut the dough into quarters. Roll each piece into a long cylinder and cut the dough at an angle into 2.5cm/1in pieces. Repeat until you have used up all the dough
4
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop a few dumplings in at a time – it’s best to cook them in batches. Gently boil for 3–4 minutes; they will rise to the top once cooked. Take them out with a slotted spoon, drain in a colander and continue until you have cooked all the dumplings. Set them to one side.
5
Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the onions for 4–5 minutes until soft. Add the bacon and fry until golden and crisp. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Add the kopytka to the pan, stir everything together and cook until the kopytka begin to turn golden, then serve
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Kopytka (Polish gnocchi) with bacon and mushrooms
