Lithuanian Dumplings (Cepelinai)

Ingredients: 1 k (2 lbs) raw potatoes 3-4 boiled potatoes 300 g (10 oz) beef 100 g (3.5 oz) cottage cheese 1 Tbsp sour cream Salt Marjoram Alternate fillings made from cottage cheese or mushrooms.

Finely grate peeled potatoes. Put potato gratings in a linen cloth and squeeze liquid over a large bowl until potato gratings are dry.  Let potato starch settle to the bottom, decant potato liquid and then add starch to potato gratings. Grind boiled potatoes in meat grinder. Mix boiled potatoes with grated potatoes and starch. Add salt and blend well. To make filling, grind beef and cottage cheese in a meet grinder. Add sour cream, marjoram and salt, blend. Take about ½ cup of potato dough and flatten, making a round form. Place a spoonful of filling, fold over and seal seam to make an oblong shape. Place “Zeppelins” into boiling water and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring gently. Serve with sour cream or bacon sauce.

Cottage Cheese Filling Mushroom Filling 300 g (10 oz) cottage cheese 2 eggs Salt 200 g (7 oz) dried mushrooms 2 onions 50 g (2 oz) butter Salt, ground black pepper Beat eggs Put cottage cheese, eggs and salt into a bowl and mix well, until achieving a homogeneous mass. Soak dried mushrooms, boil in water. Fry chopped onions, add chopped mushrooms. Add salt and pepper, blend well.

Meat

Ingredients: 1 k (2 lbs) raw potatoes 3-4 boiled potatoes 300 g (10 oz) beef 100 g (3.5 oz) cottage cheese 1 Tbsp sour cream Salt Marjoram Alternate fillings made from cottage cheese or mushrooms.

Finely grate peeled potatoes. Put potato gratings in a linen cloth and squeeze liquid over a large bowl until potato gratings are dry.  Let potato starch settle to the bottom, decant potato liquid and then add starch to potato gratings. Grind boiled potatoes in meat grinder. Mix boiled potatoes with grated potatoes and starch. Add salt and blend well. To make filling, grind beef and cottage cheese in a meet grinder. Add sour cream, marjoram and salt, blend. Take about ½ cup of potato dough and flatten, making a round form. Place a spoonful of filling, fold over and seal seam to make an oblong shape. Place “Zeppelins” into boiling water and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring gently. Serve with sour cream or bacon sauce.

Cottage Cheese Filling Mushroom Filling 300 g (10 oz) cottage cheese 2 eggs Salt 200 g (7 oz) dried mushrooms 2 onions 50 g (2 oz) butter Salt, ground black pepper Beat eggs Put cottage cheese, eggs and salt into a bowl and mix well, until achieving a homogeneous mass. Soak dried mushrooms, boil in water. Fry chopped onions, add chopped mushrooms. Add salt and pepper, blend well.

Dumplings -
8 large potatoes peeled and finely grated
2 large potatoes mashed
1 medium onion - finely grated
Salt
lemon juice
Corn starch

Meat -
500g mince
1 onion - chopped finely
salt and pepper
1 egg

Gravy -
250g bacon - diced
1 onion - chopped
1 cup sour cream
pepper

Mix all meat ingredients - refridgerate

Add a drop or two of lemon juice to the grated potatoes so they don't go brown.  Place in a towl and twist to get rid of excess water.  Pour off water reserving the starch in the bottom.

Return the grated potato to starch.  Add mashed potato, onion and salt.  Mix well.

Put a pot of water on to boil.

Take about a cup of dumpling mixture and pat it flat in the palm of the hand.  Place 1/4 cup of meat in the center and using slightly dampened hands, fold the potato mixture around the meat into a football shape, sealing well.  Continue until all gone.

Carefully lower dumplings into salted boiling water to which cornstarch has been added to prevent falling apart.  Boil for 25 mins.  Remove and drain and place on a heated platter.

While dumplings are boiling make the gravy.  Fry the bacon and onion until tender.  Dran and combine with sour cream and pepper.  Thin with milk if necessary.  Drench dumplings with gravy to serve.