One of my favourite Sparassis mushroom recipes is this one for cauliflower dumplings. You’ll need: quark, spelt semolina, egg and sparassis crispa mushrooms.
If you do not have sparassis crispa mushroom, any craterelle mushroom will do. You can also use any dried mushrooms. Soak them before using and then cook them as described on the recipe card.
Step by step guide to making cauliflower and mushroom dumplings
The beauty of these semolina dumplings is their versatility. You can cook these with any type of mushroom you have, and they taste great on their own. However, they are at their best when served with juicy pork in a creamy mustard sauce. It’s a match made in culinary heaven.
Table of Contents
What should we call this recipe?
I’ve thought long and hard about what to call this recipe. The origin is somewhere between griz knedli, knedlĂky or knödel, but I have no idea where this recipe came from in my kitchen.
This recipe has been a favourite of mine for over twenty years.
I can’t recall how it came into my possession or where it originated. đŸ˜„ It’s a dish that’s been with me for such a long time, and I can’t remember why I decided to make it into a roll. It’s a mystery that remains unsolved!
But what is the magic ingredient that breathed new life into this old favorite? Sparassis crispa, the wild and wonderful cauliflower mushroom. It’s a bold and flavorful twist, as any addition should be, especially when it comes to cooking with wild mushrooms. Trust me, it’s a true discovery.
After the recipe, I will say few words about the history of semolina dumplings and its place in European traditions.
So, how to make this sparassis mushroom recipe?
Dumplings with Sparassis Crispa Mushroom
Difficulty: EasyOne of my favourite Sparassis mushroom recipes is this one for cauliflower dumplings. You’ll need: quark, spelt semolina, egg and sparassis crispa mushrooms.
Ingredients
1 small onion, finely chopped
200g (7.05 oz) Sparassis Crispa mushroom (Wood Cauliflower Mushroom), cleaned and chopped
125g (4.41 oz) quark cheese
100-120g (3.53 oz) spelt semolina flour(how much depends on the absorbency of the flour
1 egg
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Start by cleaning the Sparassis Crispa mushroom.
- Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a small amount of oil or butter.
- Sauté the finely chopped onions until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped Sparassis Crispa mushrooms to the skillet and continue cooking until they become tender, and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
- Season with a pinch of salt and set the mushrooms aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the spelt semolina flour, quark cheese, egg, and a pinch of salt.
- Mix the ingredients until a smooth dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, you can add a bit more spelt semolina flour until it’s workable.
- Add the cooled mushrooms to the quark mixture and combine.
- To make it easier to shape, use a damp kitchen towel to form the dough into an elongated cylinder. You can choose to create one large roll, two rolls, or take the KnedlĂky by spoon and add them one by one into the boiling water. Shaping them like a roll creates a drier interior texture and for me personaly nicer appearance.
- In a large pot, bring water to a gentle boil, and add a pinch of salt.
- Carefully place the spelt semolina KnedlĂky rolls into the boiling water.
- Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the KnedlĂky rolls float to the surface and are fully cooked.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked KnedlĂky rolls from the water and place them on a serving platter. Cut them diagonally into equal slices.
- Serve the KnedlĂky with sautĂ©ed mushroom sauce, meat goulash, or as shown in the images, with pork chops in mustard sauce.
Recipe Video
If you want to know more about Sparassis Crispa mushroom you can use my guide.
Kendle, KnedlĂky or Grizknödel
Dumplings, also called knedlĂky, kendle or knödel, come from different regions, so pinpointing their creator or exact origin is tricky.
Kendle, KnedlĂky or Grizknödel are types of traditional dumplings that are popular in Central and Eastern European cuisine. You can make dumplings from a variety of ingredients: potatoes, bread, semolina, or flour, and they can be both savory and sweet.
People often serve them as a side dish or main course, and they typically accompany meat dishes, stews, and sauces. My kids like the semolina dumpling soup I make. I prefer my mother’s knedle sa smokvom – potato dumplings filled with figs.
Semolina dumplings have been part of European cuisine for centuries, and different cultures have developed their own variations over time.
The concept of dumplings probably developed independently in different regions over time, and no one person is credited with inventing them.
They are a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of cooks who developed recipes based on the ingredients available in their region.
Nutrition table
| Nutritional Information | Per Serving (1 Slice) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 170 (kcal) |
| Total Fat | 4g (g) |
| – Saturated Fat | 1.5g (g) |
| Cholesterol | 35mg (mg) |
| Sodium | 230mg (mg) |
| Total Carbohydrates | 28g (g) |
| – Dietary Fiber | 3g (g) |
| – Sugars | 1g (g) |
| Protein | 6g (g) |
More delicious sparassis mushroom recipes:
Potential Health Benefits of Sparassis crispa mushroom:
Here’s where Sparassis crispa gets even more intriguing. Based on the study, this mushroom seems to have a lot going for it in terms of potential health benefits:
- Anti-diabetic Activity: It could help with diabetes management by lowering serum glucose levels and insulin levels, while also enhancing nutrient intake.
- Anti-cancer Activity: There’s evidence suggesting it might reduce tumor activity and even impact the survival of cancer cells.
- Anti-inflammatory Activity: It has the potential to bring down inflammation in the body.
- Anti-fungal Activity: It might help combat fungal infections.
- Antioxidant Activity: This means it could contribute to your body’s defense against harmful free radicals.
- Potential Immune System Support: It might have a role in modulating the immune system, aiding in overall health.
Great web resources
On following links find more information about foraging, health benefits and identification of Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis crispa)
IMA Fungus – Medicinal, nutritional, and nutraceutical potential of Sparassis crispa s. lat.: a review
123pilzsuche – Krause Glucke(Sparassis crispa)
Turbo Tasty’s Collection of Wild Mushroom Recipes
Among the many wild mushroom recipes on my blog, canned wild mushrooms (pickled chanterelle recipe), chanterelle & sparassis crispa soup, sparassis crispa recipes stand out from the crowd. If you are interested, please check them out.
