Kluski żelazne: Polish potato dumplings with cracklings

Boil and cool the potatoes.Put 500 g potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until a thin knife slides into the center easily, about 20–25 minutes depending on size. Drain and leave to cool until comfortable to handle, about 25 minutes. Peel if needed, then grate on the large holes of a box grater.

Grate and drain the raw potatoes.Peel the other 500 g potatoes and finely grate them into a clean cloth set over a bowl. Gather the cloth and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid. Let the liquid stand for about 5 minutes. Carefully pour off the water, keeping the white starch settled at the bottom, and mix that starch back into the grated raw potato.

Mix the dough.Add the grated boiled potatoes, flour, beaten egg and 5 g salt to the raw potato. Knead briefly until evenly combined and cohesive. It should hold a short roll but remain moist. If your potatoes are unusually wet, add flour a teaspoon at a time, only until the mixture can be shaped.

Shape the dumplings.With damp hands, form about 24 short oblongs, each around 6 cm long and similar in thickness. Keep them unfilled and compact. Place them on a lightly floured tray while you bring the cooking water to a boil.

Render the cracklings.Dice the pork backfat and place it in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, stirring now and then, until the fat has rendered and the cracklings are lightly golden and crisp, about 12–15 minutes. Finely dice the onion, add it to the pan and fry until soft and golden, about 6–8 minutes. Keep warm.

Boil the dumplings.Bring 6 litres water and 10 g salt to a steady gentle boil. Add dumplings in uncrowded batches and stir gently once to prevent sticking. When they rise to the surface, simmer for another 2–3 minutes, until tender and steaming hot in the center. Lift with a slotted spoon and drain.

Serve.Divide the dumplings among four warm plates and spoon the cracklings, onion and some rendered fat over them. Serve hot.