Kroppkakor (Swedish Potato Dumplings)

Ask two people from different parts of Sweden, how to make kroppkakor (potato dumplings), more than likely they won’t agree, however what they will agree on is that you must make them.

Originating on the Baltic island of Öland, inland to rustic Smaland, kroppkakor always consist of mashed potato, with the addition of flour and egg, rolled into balls, then filled with most likely brined pork and onions. From there, who knows as there are several regional variations. Earliest recipes were heavily spiced with allspice – but some don’t use any at all.

I’d like to share with you an up to date version of this humble classic. My preference is a particularly soft dumpling, so I’ve kept the quantity of flour to a minimum.  Two different fillings for you to try; smoked bacon and onion or wild mushroom.  If lingonberries are not available you can use a small amount of lingonberry jam or substitute with a sharp apple, such as granny smith, cut into matchsticks and serve with the dumplings.

Print Recipe

Kroppkakor (Swedish dumplings)

Prep Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Swedish

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Kroppkakor dumplings

• 700 g floury potatoes ie, King Edwards
• 60 g plain flour 70g potato flour if you're GF
• 3 free-range egg yolks large
• 20 g melted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Mushroom duxelle filling (enough for 12 dumplings)

• knob of butter
• 1 portabello mushroom approx 60g
• 300 g chestnut mushrooms finely chopped
• 10 g dried wild mushrooms soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes before chopping
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves only, chopped
• a good pinch allspice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bacon filling (enough for 12 dumplings)

• 200 g dry cure streaky bacon cut into fine strips
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme leaves only, chopped
• a good pinch allspice
• black pepper
• To serve
• 50 g butter plus extra for frying
• 75 g frozen lingonberries defrosted
• 2 tsp sugar
• 250 g wild mushrooms if available
• 180 g cavolo nero stalk removed and roughly chopped
• 3 tbls toasted hazelnuts roughly chopped

Instructions

Kroppkakor dumplings

• Begin with peeling the potatoes, cut into even sized pieces, then boil in salted water until cooked through. Drain and return to a low heat to steam for a minute or 2 to remove any excess moisture. Pass through a potato ricer then add the butter, set to one side to cool. Once cool stir in the egg yolks, flour and salt, taking care not to over mix. Cover and chill while you make the filling.

Mushroom duxelle filling

• To make the mushroom duxelle filling, heat the butter in a pan. Gently fry the shallots until soft, add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme and allspice. Fry until all of the moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated, it’s almost dry and it starts to catch at the bottom. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set to one side to cool.

Bacon filling

• To make the bacon filling, heat the butter in a pan. Fry the shallots and thyme leaves until soft, then add the allspice. Now add the bacon and fry until cooked through and golden. Set to one side to cool.
• Divide the dumpling dough into 12 (approx 45g each) on a floured work surface, press the dough into a disc shape. In the centre of each disc place a teaspoon of filling. Gather up the dough and press together to make a ball. Slightly flatten and set to one side. Continue with the remainder.
• Boil the dumplings slowly in a pot of lightly salted water without a lid for 5–6 minutes, the dumplings will rise to the surface when they’re done. Place on a plate.
• Mix the defrosted lingonberries with the sugar and set aside.
• Heat a little more butter in a pan and gently fry the mushrooms if using for a couple of minutes. Remove from the pan and set to one side to keep warm.
• Steam the cavolo nero in a little water in a saucepan for several minutes. Once done add a knob of butter and black pepper.
• In a heavy based pan, heat a knob of butter and carefully sear the dumplings. Remove from the pan and set aside to keep warm. Melt 50g of butter in the same pan over a high heat until it starts to smell nutty and turn brown. Turn off the heat and remove from the pan so it doesn’t burn.
• Divide the dumplings between 4 plates, garnish with the wild mushrooms if using, cavolo nero and lingonberries, and pour the brown butter over and sprinkle with hazelnuts to finish. Serve.