serviettenknödel — Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, the dumpling recorded here as serviettenknödel corresponds to houskový knedlík, a bread dumpling made from cubed stale rolls soaked in milk, bound with egg and shaped into a log that is cooked wrapped in a cloth rather than boiled loose in water. It shares its dough with Semmelknödel and the German serviettenknödel, differing mainly in how it is seasoned and what it is served alongside. This page follows the version cooked in the Czech Republic, where the dumpling is a staple side dish across the country and central to one of its best-known meals. AllGastronomy also records the dish in Germany and Austria, each with its own separate page. To prepare it, diced bread rolls are soaked in warm milk, then mixed with beaten eggs, a little chopped parsley and sometimes finely diced smoked bacon. The dough is formed into a firm log, wrapped and tied in a cloth, and lowered into simmering water to poach for around 30 minutes, being turned partway through so it cooks evenly on all sides. In the Czech Republic, the sliced dumpling is best known as part of vepřo-knedlo-zelo, served alongside slow-roasted pork and braised sauerkraut, with the meat's dark gravy poured generously over everything. The bacon sometimes folded into the dough, and the thickness of the slices, are among the details that shift from one kitchen to the next.