Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 1.5 kg starchy potatoes (e.g., Russet), divided
- 30 g potato starch (about 3 tbsp), plus raw potato starch from squeezing
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- 80 g day-old white bread, cubed + 30 g butter
- Salt, black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg
- For gravy: 2 tbsp butter or beef dripping, 1 small onion, 1 small carrot, 1 tsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp flour, 250 ml dry red wine, 500 ml beef/veal stock, 1 tbsp cold butter to finish
- For red cabbage: 1 small red cabbage (~800 g), 1 apple, 1 small red onion, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 150 ml red wine, 200 ml apple juice/water, bay, cloves, juniper
Do This
- 1. Start red cabbage: sweat onion and apple in butter; add cabbage, sugar, vinegar, wine, juice, spices; simmer 45–60 minutes.
- 2. Peel potatoes. Boil 600 g in salted water until tender (15–20 minutes). Reserve 750 ml of the boiling potato water.
- 3. Make croutons in 30 g butter until deep golden.
- 4. Finely grate remaining 900 g potatoes, toss with lemon juice, squeeze very dry in a cloth; let the liquid settle, then keep the white starch.
- 5. Scald the squeezed raw potato pulp with the reserved 750 ml boiling potato water, stirring until thick and glossy.
- 6. Rice cooked potatoes; mix with scalded raw potatoes, reserved starch, 30 g potato starch, 2 tsp salt, nutmeg. Form 8 balls with crouton centers.
- 7. Poach at a bare simmer (85–90°C) 20–25 minutes. Make gravy in a pan with drippings, wine, stock; strain and finish with butter. Serve dumplings with gravy and red cabbage.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic Thüringer technique: part raw, part cooked potatoes for that signature bouncy, silky texture.
- Golden buttery crouton centers add a delightful surprise and texture contrast.
- Deep, glossy pan gravy bathes every bite in savory goodness.
- Classic braised red cabbage brings sweet-tart balance and vibrant color.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1.5 kg starchy potatoes, 1 small red cabbage, 1 apple, 1 small red onion, 1 small carrot, fresh parsley or chives (garnish)
- Dairy: Unsalted butter
- Pantry: Day-old white bread, potato starch, tomato paste, flour, beef/veal stock, red wine, apple juice (or water), red wine vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, whole cloves, juniper berries, cinnamon stick (optional), salt, pepper, nutmeg, soy sauce or Worcestershire (optional)
Full Ingredients
Thüringer Klöße (Potato Dumplings)
- 1.5 kg starchy potatoes (e.g., Russet), peeled and divided: 600 g for boiling, 900 g for raw grating
- 750 ml reserved boiling potato water (from cooking the 600 g portion)
- 30 g potato starch (about 3 tbsp), plus the settled raw potato starch from squeezing
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar (to keep raw potatoes from browning)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (for the dough), plus more for cooking water
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Buttery Crouton Centers
- 80 g day-old white bread, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 30 g unsalted butter
- Pinch of kosher salt
Glossy Roast Pan Gravy
- 2 tbsp beef dripping or unsalted butter
- 1 small onion (about 100 g), chopped
- 1 small carrot (about 80 g), chopped
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (or 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp cold water)
- 250 ml dry red wine
- 500 ml good beef or veal stock (preferably unsalted)
- 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce (optional, for depth)
- 1 tsp red currant jelly (optional, for sheen and balance)
- 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter (to finish)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)
- 1 small red cabbage (about 800 g), cored and thinly sliced
- 1 apple (about 150 g), peeled and grated or finely diced
- 1 small red onion (about 100 g), thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or goose fat)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 150 ml dry red wine
- 200 ml apple juice (or water)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 juniper berries, lightly crushed (optional)
- 1 small cinnamon stick (optional)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp red currant jelly (optional, to finish)
To Serve
- Chopped chives or parsley (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Start the red cabbage
In a medium pot, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and grated apple; cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the shredded red cabbage and sprinkle over 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt; toss to wilt for 2–3 minutes. Pour in 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 150 ml red wine, and 200 ml apple juice (or water). Add bay, cloves, juniper, and cinnamon if using. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook gently for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and a spoon of red currant jelly at the end.
Step 2: Boil part of the potatoes and make croutons
Peel all potatoes. Cut 600 g into chunks, cover with cold salted water (1 tsp salt per liter), and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender, 15–20 minutes. Before draining, ladle out and reserve 750 ml of the boiling potato water—keep it at a full boil, covered.
Meanwhile, for the centers, melt 30 g butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and a pinch of salt; sauté until deep golden and crisp, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Step 3: Grate and squeeze the raw potatoes; save the starch
Finely grate the remaining 900 g potatoes (use the fine holes for a smooth dumpling). Immediately toss the grated potatoes with 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. Transfer to a clean linen or cheesecloth set over a bowl. Twist and squeeze very firmly to expel as much liquid as possible into the bowl—really wring it out. Set the squeezed pulp aside in a large mixing bowl.
Let the squeezed liquid stand for 5 minutes. Carefully pour off and discard the brownish water, keeping the white starch sediment at the bottom. Scrape that starch (it may be about 1–2 tbsp) into the bowl with the raw potato pulp.
Step 4: Scald the raw potatoes (abziehen)
With a sturdy wooden spoon ready, pour the reserved 750 ml boiling potato water over the squeezed raw potato pulp in a thin stream, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken, turn glossy, and feel sticky-gelatinized—this is key to that signature bouncy texture. Set aside to cool for 2–3 minutes.
Step 5: Rice the cooked potatoes and make the dough
Drain the cooked potato chunks well and pass them through a ricer (or mash very smoothly). Add the riced potato to the scalded raw potato mixture along with 30 g potato starch, 2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Mix with a spoon, then with clean damp hands, until the dough is smooth, cohesive, and only slightly tacky. If it feels wet or slack, sprinkle in another 1–2 tsp potato starch; if it feels dry or cracks, knead in 1–2 tbsp warm water.
Optional but recommended: Pinch off a golf-ball piece, poach it in barely simmering salted water for 5 minutes, and taste. Adjust salt/nutmeg if needed.
Step 6: Shape dumplings with buttery crouton centers
Set a large pot with 4 liters of water over medium heat and salt it generously (about 2 tbsp). Bring just to a simmer—aim for 85–90°C; do not let it boil hard.
With damp hands, divide the dough into 8 equal portions (about 150–170 g each). Flatten a portion into a 10 cm disk, place 4–5 croutons in the center, then wrap the dough around to seal completely. Roll gently between wet hands to make a smooth ball; no cracks. Repeat with remaining portions.
Step 7: Poach dumplings, make the gravy, and serve
Slide the dumplings into the barely simmering water. After 2–3 minutes, gently stir so they don’t stick to the bottom. Poach 20–25 minutes, maintaining 85–90°C. The dumplings will float and rotate lazily when done. Turn off the heat and let them rest in the hot water 5 minutes while you finish the gravy.
For the gravy, heat 2 tbsp dripping or butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add chopped onion and carrot; cook, stirring, until well browned, 6–8 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp tomato paste and cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle over 1 tbsp flour and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with 250 ml red wine, scraping the fond; reduce by half, 2–3 minutes. Add 500 ml stock and a pinch of salt and pepper; simmer 8–10 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan, stir in 1 tsp soy or Worcestershire and 1 tsp red currant jelly if using, then whisk in 1 tbsp cold butter to gloss. Adjust seasoning.
Serve 1–2 dumplings per person in warm shallow bowls. Spoon over plenty of hot gravy and add a generous side of braised red cabbage. Garnish with chives or parsley.
Pro Tips
- The squeeze matters: expelling liquid from the raw potatoes and saving the settled starch gives the dumplings their traditional structure.
- Scalding with boiling potato water partially cooks the raw starch—do not skip this; it’s the secret to bouncy, smooth Klöße.
- Keep the poaching water at a bare simmer (85–90°C). A boil can break dumplings; too cool and they’ll turn gummy.
- Test a small dumpling first to dial in salt and texture before shaping the full batch.
- Wet hands prevent sticking and make perfectly smooth dumpling surfaces.
Variations
- Herb centers: Toss the croutons with chopped parsley and a pinch of garlic for aromatic centers.
- Gluten-free gravy: Use cornstarch slurry instead of flour for thickening.
- No wine option: Replace wine with extra stock and 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar for brightness.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Red cabbage keeps beautifully—refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months; flavor improves overnight. Gravy can be made 2 days ahead and reheated gently; thin with a splash of stock if needed. Dumplings are best the day they’re made. To hold for service, leave cooked dumplings in hot (not boiling) water up to 30 minutes. Leftovers? Slice and pan-fry in butter until crisp on both sides—delicious with any remaining cabbage and gravy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate values: 500 kcal; 67 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 18 g fat; 7 g fiber; 950 mg sodium. Values will vary with exact ingredients and portion sizes.
