Potato Dumplings (Polish Pyzy)

The dough for these famous Polish potato meat dumplings is made with mashed or grated raw potatoes - or occasionally a combination of both - mixed with flour, salt, and eggs in order to create a pliable and soft batter for the dish. Even though they can be eaten plain, pyzy are usually made with a delectable stuffing hidden inside the dough. The most common choice of filling is minced meat, usually a mix of pork and beef, which is frequently enriched with onions, sautéed mushrooms, or traditional Polish cottage cheese. The stuffing is placed inside the dough, and the package is then rolled into a small round ball and boiled. The finished pyzy are soft and delicate, and their mild doughy exterior perfectly complements the rich, meaty filling. They are occasionally shallow-fried, giving them a thin and crunchy outer layer. This recipe for Polish potato dumplings or pyzy uses a combination of raw, grated potatoes, and cooked, mashed potatoes in the dough, as compared to kopytka, which is made with cooked, mashed potatoes.

2½ lbs russet potatoes, peeled
2 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp. kosher salt
4 oz all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 Tbsp. potato flour

Garnish:
5 oz boczek or sliced bacon, cut into cubes

Cut half the potatoes (leaving the other half whole and uncooked) into chunks and cook them in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain and mash or grind through a food mill and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, grate the whole potatoes by hand or in a food processor using a very fine grater (you don't want shreds). Drain grated potatoes and place them in a linen towel or several layers of cheesecloth and twist and squeeze the cloth over a bowl to drain all the water out of the potatoes. Save the potato starch that settles to the bottom of the bowl (but not the water) and place it with the squeezed-out potatoes in the bowl with the mashed potatoes.

Add eggs, salt, and both flours, and mix thoroughly, adding enough flour so the mixture will hold its shape when rolled. Using slightly dampened or floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into balls. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and drop in the dumplings. Cook 4-5 minutes or until dumplings float to the top. Taste test for doneness. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain.

Meanwhile, fry the slab bacon or sliced bacon until golden brown. Transfer the cooked dumplings to a serving plate and spoon over the bacon and drippings. Note: If desired, finely chopped onions can be fried together with the bacon for an extra layer of flavor.

Makes 4 servings.