Polish Potato Dumplings {Kopytka}
It’s no secret that Polish kitchen is resourceful and greatly relies on cheap ingredients, often leftovers. Nothing makes me think about kopytka like some leftover potatoes. Kopytka are simply potato dumplings, they go great with gravy, I think. Therefore, I’m also “Polishing” some leftover chicken teriyaki from a Japanese sushi joint we had on Sunday. Chicken vegetable gravy goes perfect with these soft potato dumplings, ready to soak up the savory goodness.
To make kopytka, you will need:
1 lb of cooked and cooled potatoes (leftovers are great!)
1 egg
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of salt
1. Fill a large pot with water, salt it with a teaspoon of salt, and add a tablespoon of oil.
2. Mash potatoes with a potato masher in a pot. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to form a playable dough. Cut a thick slice of dough and roll out on a flat surface gently sprinkled with flour, to form a long roll.
3. Cut it into pieces at a 45-degree angle.
4. Place raw dumplings in boiling water in batches (I did this in 2 batches in 6 quart pot), stir gently to prevent dumplings from sticking to the bottom and to each other. Simmer on low for about 1 minute from the time they start floating to the top (about 3 min total). Remove from water and lay out on a cookie sheet (so they don’t stick together). Serve hot.
To “Polish” my Japanese dish, I made a quick roux of 1 tbs of butter and 1 tsp of flour. Then I added 1 cup of water and leftover chicken teriyaki. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce and warm up the meat and veggies. Done!
Do you like to cook with leftovers? What's your favorite dish?
