Bread Dumplings with Cabbage

A friend of mine introduced me to the wonders of bread dumplings via his Austrian grandmother. The chunks of bread in them give a variable texture, which is a nice alternative to the uniformity of other types of dumplings.
 

Ingredients:

• 2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 slices of bread, made into breadcrumbs
• 4 slices of bread, roughly cut into 1cm squares
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 white onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp dried juniper berries, crushed
• 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 small cabbage, sliced into small strips

 

Method:

1. Fry the red onions in the olive oil until soft.
2. In a large bowl combine the red onions, breadcrumbs and bread cubes together and mix well.
3. Add the egg to the mixture and stir well.
4. Use your hands to press the egg/bread mixture into 4 large dumplings.
5. In a deep pan fry the white onions in the sunflower oil over a medium heat until they start to soften.
6. Add the juniper berries, leeks and cabbage and mix well.
7. Turn the heat right down low and make 4 depressions in the leek and cabbage mixture, large enough for the dumplings to rest in.
8. Add four tablespoons of cold water to the pan.
9. Place the dumplings in the depressions and then put a good fitting lid on the pan.
10. Cook for 40 minutes or until the cabbage has softened. If it all starts to look a bit dry then add a couple more tablespoons of fresh water to the pan.

 
Serves 2.