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It’s my favorite Czech dish, and I don’t say that lightly,” says Avi Harbury. “These fritters are a delicious reminder that some of the best things in life come wrapped in dough.
“Here, juicy strawberries are wrapped in soft dumpling dough, then drizzled with melted butter and sprinkled with icing sugar on a bed of jammy berry sauce.
“A unique feature of Central European cuisine is the concept of a sweet main course. Although I am presenting these fruit dumplings as a dessert here, they are typically served as a main dish in a Czech home or pub, especially for children or those who are still young at heart.
“Tvaroh is a Czech curd cheese, similar to cottage cheese.”
Strawberry Dumplings
serves:4
Material,
350 grams cottage cheese or soft curd (‘soft’)
1 large egg, plus 1 yolk
200 grams semolina flour or fine semolina, plus extra flour for rolling
12 strawberries, peeled
For Strawberry Sauce,
250 grams strawberries, peeled and roughly chopped
50 grams icing sugar
to serve,
80g hard cottage cheese (‘hard’), crumbled (optional)
80 grams unsalted butter, melted
100 grams icing sugar
Method,
1. Puree the paneer or soft cheese by pressing it through a strainer into a large bowl and removing any lumps. Add the egg and additional yolk and mix, then add the semolina flour and mix again until completely mixed.
2. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a small ball. Sprinkle some semolina flour on your hands. Take one ball of dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand, then place the peeled strawberries in the middle.
3. Bring the dough together around the edges of the strawberries and roll into a ball to completely cover the strawberries. If you have a hole, don’t worry – you can simply patch it, as the dough is very forgiving. Sprinkle more semolina flour in a plate to prevent sticking. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the dumplings to the pan and simmer for seven to nine minutes (depending on the size of your strawberries), then drain.
5. Meanwhile, make the strawberry sauce by combining the chopped strawberries and icing sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the strawberries begin to break down slightly (this will take two to three minutes more if the strawberries are less ripe). Keep warm until you are ready to serve.
6. To serve, divide the strawberry sauce among four bowls, then place three dumplings in each. Top with crumbled hard tavaroh, if using, drizzle with melted butter and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.
These pakodas can be filled with different fruits in different seasons. The blueberries, plums and apricots inside the dough are all delicious.
‘My Bohemian Kitchen’ by Evie Harbury (Murdoch Books, £20).