Recipe for: Silesian dumplings with gravy (with forest mushrooms) - photo 1
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Recipe for: Silesian dumplings with gravy (with forest mushrooms)

Main dishes Regional Cuisine of Poland 45 min Medium 0 views ~14.35 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Silesian dumplings are classic Polish dumplings made from boiled potatoes, shaped with a characteristic indentation that perfectly collects sauce. In this version, I serve them with a thick gravy based on sautéed pork, root vegetables, and aromatic spices; optionally enriched with forest mushrooms that add an autumnal character. The dish combines the delicate, slightly elastic texture of the dumplings with a sweet-umami sauce, pairing wonderfully with sour cream or parsley on the plate. This main dish is perfect for a family dinner, Sunday gathering, or regional celebration — hearty, rustic, and visually appealing: white dumplings with a glistening brown sauce and pieces of meat and mushrooms.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (18)

Servings:
4
  • Potatoes 6.7 pcs (~1000 g)
  • Potato starch 160 g
  • Chicken egg 1 pcs (~60 g)
  • Pork 400 g
  • Onion 1 pcs (~150 g)
  • Carrot 1.3 pcs (~100 g)
  • Celery root 80 g
  • Rapeseed oil 15 g
  • Wheat flour 20 g
  • Vegetable broth 500 ml
  • Sugar 5 g
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 10 g
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • Marjoram 2 g
  • Bay leaf 10 pcs (~3 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Wild mushroom 150 g
  • Butter 20 g
  • 18% cream 60 ml
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~14.35 PLN (3.59 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Noodles

1

Prepare the potatoes: peel the potatoes and cut them into equal pieces (about 3–4 cm). Place them in a pot, cover with cold water so that they are submerged by about 1 cm, and add 5 g of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the flame, and cook for 18–22 minutes until a fork easily goes into the potato — this indicates that they are soft.

Ingredients: Salt
Use a large pot (about 4–5 l). Start cooking in cold water, this prevents the outer layer from becoming mushy. Check for tenderness with a fork: they should not fall apart, but the fork should go in easily.
2

Drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander and return the pot to low heat for 1–2 minutes to remove excess moisture (known as steaming off). Transfer the hot potatoes to a large bowl or onto a work surface and mash with a potato masher or ricer until smooth — do this while they are still hot.

Use a potato masher or ricer; do not blend with a mixer (the dumplings will be gummy later). The goal is a smooth, lump-free mixture.
3

Cool the potato mixture to a lukewarm temperature for about 5–8 minutes (it should be warm, not hot). Add the beaten egg and 5 g of salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until the ingredients are combined. Then gradually add the potato starch (first 120 g, then the rest if needed), mixing until the mixture becomes pliable and stops sticking to your hands.

Ingredients: Salt, Potato starch
If the dough is too sticky, gradually add more starch up to the maximum amount in the ingredients. If you add too much starch, the dumplings will be hard. The consistency should be firm, slightly elastic, and moldable.
4

Shaping: sprinkle the countertop with a little starch, scoop a portion of the mixture (~50–70 g) with a spoon and form a ball between your hands. Place it on the starch-dusted board. Then, use your index finger to make a soft indentation in the center of each ball — this is the characteristic 'eye'. If the mixture is sticky, moisten your hands with cold water every few balls.

Ingredients: Potato starch
Use a kitchen scale to make even portions, or make smaller balls — with 1 kg of potatoes, you'll get about 14–18 dumplings. Don't make the balls too large — they may fall apart while cooking.
5

Cooking the dumplings: in a large pot, bring salted water (the rest of the salt) to a boil. Add the dumplings in batches to the boiling water, gently stirring with a spoon to prevent sticking. When the dumplings float to the surface, cook them for another 3 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate or a bowl with a little oil to prevent them from sticking together.

Ingredients: Salt
The best is a tall pot with plenty of water so that the dumplings have room to move. Cook in 2–3 batches depending on the size of the pot.

Gravy

6

Prepare the vegetables: chop the onion into small cubes, slice the carrot and celery into thin slices or small cubes. If you are using mushrooms, clean them and slice them. Heat a large skillet (preferably 26–28 cm in diameter) with 15 g of rapeseed oil over medium-high heat.

Ingredients: Onion, Carrot, Celery root, wild mushroom, Rapeseed oil
A heavy-bottomed pan will ensure even browning. Use a sharp knife and a non-slip cutting board for quicker work.
7

Sear the meat: pat the pieces of pork dry with a paper towel, season lightly with salt and pepper. In a heated skillet, sear the meat on each side for 3–4 minutes, until the surface is browned. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.

Ingredients: pork, Salt, Black pepper, Rapeseed oil
Use tongs or a spatula. Searing seals the meat's pores and gives tasty caramelized bits for the sauce (the so-called 'fond'). Don't overcrowd the pan with meat at once — cook in batches if necessary.
8

In the same pan, sauté the onion in the remaining fat until translucent (3–4 minutes), then add the carrot, celery, and mushrooms (if using). Cook for another 5–6 minutes until the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the wheat flour and stir for 1–2 minutes until the flour is lightly browned — this is the base for the roux.

Ingredients: Onion, Carrot, Celery root, wild mushroom, Wheat flour
Use a wooden spoon to stir and scrape up the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan — this will add flavor to the sauce.
9

Gradually pour in the vegetable broth (first about 200 ml), stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. Add the remaining broth, bay leaf, and marjoram. Return the meat to the sauce, cover, and simmer on low heat for 18–22 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens. Season with sugar and optionally salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients: Vegetable broth, Bay leaf, Marjoram, Sugar, pork
If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and cook uncovered until the excess water evaporates. If it's too thick, add a few tablespoons of broth. The cooking time depends on the size of the meat pieces.
10

Remove the bay leaf and, if you want a smooth sauce, blend the contents with an immersion blender in the pan (short pulses) or strain through a sieve. Finally, optionally add 20 g of butter and/or 60 g of 18% cream — stir until you achieve a satin-like consistency. Taste and season: more salt, pepper, or a little sugar if needed.

Ingredients: Butter, 18% cream, Sugar
Blending will smooth the sauce's texture; if you prefer chunks of meat and vegetables, skip the blending. Adding butter will 'bind' the sauce and give it a shine.

Serving

11

Serving: arrange the noodles on plates, generously drizzle with gravy containing pieces of meat and mushrooms. For contrast, add a spoonful of sour cream or sprinkle with finely chopped parsley (optional). Serve hot.

Ingredients: Potato starch, pork, wild mushroom, 18% cream
Use wide plates for a nice presentation. The dumplings taste best fresh; if the sauce has been blended, gently heat it before serving.

Fun Fact

💡

Silesian dumplings (often 'dumplings with a hole') come from Silesia and were traditionally made from leftover potatoes after a meal; the indentation was used to hold butter or sauce. In different households, the recipes vary in the proportions of starch — this is the key to the perfect texture.

Best for

family dinner niedzielny obiad jesienne spotkanie

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the dumplings hot, generously drizzled with sauce. If the sauce is very thick, add a few tablespoons of hot broth. They taste great with sour cream or pickled red cabbage as a side. For aesthetic effect, arrange 3–4 dumplings in the center of the plate and pour the sauce over them centrally.

🥡 Storage

Store the dumplings separately from the sauce in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Sauce: up to 3 days. To reheat: heat the dumplings in salted water for 1–2 minutes or in the microwave with a little water; heat the sauce in a pan, adding a small amount of broth to regain its consistency. Do not freeze the dumplings after adding cream.

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