Canederli in Brodo (Italian dumplings in broth)

Ingredients

• 300 g (10.5oz) stale crusty bread (crusts removed)
• 150 g (5 oz) speck ((slices cut into pieces))
• 1 onion
• 2 eggs
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons chives (finely chopped)
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 30 g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
• Salt
• Olive oil
• 1 batch brodo di carne ((or broth of choice))

Steps

1. 1

   Cut stale bread into small cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and milk together with a fork. Add the egg mixture to the bread, stirring to make sure no dry bread remains then set aside.

2. 2

   Finely chop the onion and speck. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a pan on a medium heat and saute the onion until soft. Once soft, add the speck and cook for a 2-3 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the speck and onions to the bread alongside the finely chopped chives and a pinch of nutmeg and salt. Add the flour and mix until everything is combined.

4. 4

   Using damp hands shape a piece of the dumpling mixture into a golf ball-sized ball. If the mixture is too sticky add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you can shape them into balls (you should have around 22 dumplings). Damp hands help prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands (you might need to wash your hands halfway through).

5. 5

   Bring your broth up to a simmer. Just before you’re ready to cook them, roll each dumpling in flour shaking off any excess.

6. 6

   Drop them into the simmering broth and cook for about 5 minutes.

7. 7

   Serve the Canederli dumplings in bowl with 1-2 ladles of broth. I serve 3-4 dumplings per person.

8. 8

   You can cook the Canederli in either broth or water then serve them with a sauce such as brown butter and sage as you would with Gnudi.