Tyrolean dumplings - Tiroler Knödel

Preparation:Cut the bread into cubes, dip it in milk, squeeze, add the eggs and knead, cover and let it rest for half an hour. Separately, brown the diced speck and the chopped ham (or the meat) and add them to the mixture, then add the fried onion, chopped parsley and chives and salt. Sprinkle with flour and mix well the mixture which should be quite consistent but not sticky. With wet hands, form 8-12 large and round dumplings.
Once ready, the dumplings must boil slowly in lightly salted water or broth for about 12 minutes. It is advisable to try a dumpling to make sure it does not fall apart in cooking. The test dumpling should be nice smooth on the outside and soft on the inside. If it is too soft, add a little flour and adjust it with your hands by pressing it a little more. Then cook the remaining dumplings.
Tyrolean dumplings can also be prepared with speck only, without ham, smoked meat and butter, using the mixture described above and frying the onion in speck.
Well-made dumplings come to the surface at the first boil. They are excellent if eaten at the moment.
According to an old custom, the first candlestick is eaten in broth, the second with sauerkraut and turnip greens, the third with pork or fricassee, the fourth with salad. And whoever is not full yet, starts all over again.

As a side dish it also goes well with a salad of watercress or valerianella.

Ingredients for 4 people:
• 6 stale sandwiches
• 1,25 liters of milk
• 2-3 eggs
• 100g of speck
• 150 g of smoked ham, smoked meat or Kaminwurzen(smoked and dried sausages with a spicy flavor)
• 30g butter
• half onion
• parsley
• chive
• about 3 tablespoons (= 60-80g) of flour
• meat broth or salt water

Preparation time: 20 minutes