Kopytka (Polish Potato Dumplings)
Prep: 30 Minutes | Cook: 40 Minutes | Resting Time: N/A | Total: 1 Hour 10 minutes
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
2 lbs Russet Potatoes
1.5 cup Flour
1 Egg
Salt, to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Recipe Summary
Boil the potatoes until they’re soft
Rice or mash the potatoes until they’re completely smooth
Mix the flour, potatoes and egg
Mix in salt and pepper
Roll out kopytka into logs and flatten. Cut at a bias
Boil kopytka and serve hot with optional toppings
Recipe
Peel russet potatoes and put them in a pot of cold water. Keeping the peeled potatoes in cold water will prevent them from oxidizing as you work through peeling all your potatoes.
Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender (about 25-30 minutes). Cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces will reduce the cook time. The potatoes are ready when they are easily pierced by a fork with little to no give. Remove from water and drain fully. Mash potatoes until there are no longer any large pieces remaining.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, egg, and salt to the potatoes. Work with your hands and mix until the mix is fully uniform. The mixture should feel moist, but shouldn’t be sticking to your hands. If the mixture sticks to your hands too much, add flour (1 tbsp at a time) and work into the dough. Keep adding flour until the mixture still feels moist, but is no longer sticking to your hands. If the mixture feels too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time and work into the dough in a similar fashion.
On a large cutting board, dust the surface with some flour to prevent sticking. Divide the mixture into 6-8 equal portions and roll into cylinders. Gently press on the cylinder until it forms a flattened oval shape about ½” tall all the way around. Cut the shape into 1/2” pieces at a bias. Each log will yield about 10-15 kopytka.
Add the kopytka to boiling water and cook until they begin to float. At this point remove them and serve them hot with sauce.
Why the Recipe Works
Potato, flour, and eggs are the building blocks to various dough around the world. For kopytka, the ratio of potatoes, flour, and egg, create a somewhat fluffy, somewhat dense potato dumpling that is perfect with a hearty sauce like Soz Grzybowy (Mushroom Sauce).
Because kopytka are often made in large quantities, there is a good possibility there will be some leftovers. The great part about kopytka is that they are fantastic reheated. They can either be pan fried in a little bit of oil to get a crispy exterior, or they can be microwaved to be brought back to their fluffy texture after being boiled.