D
ear Friends, this is Mike, this PMN
column’s guest chef. I’ve been
receiving a lot of requests about the proper
technique for making potato dumplings. To
understand the dumpling, you must first
understand the potato. Chef schools classify
potatoes into three different types, so let’s
start with the most popular and work our way
down.
Baking, russet or white creamer potatoes
contain a high starch to low moisture ratio
that is ideal for dumplings, baking, mashing
and potato pancakes. When whipped, these
potatoes have a light and fluffy texture.
All-purpose Yukon gold or yellow fin potatoes
contain a medium starch level and are good
for mashed or baked, and produce a flat and
dense texture when whipped.
Red bliss, new red, white rose or fingerling
potatoes contain low starch and a high
moisture content that is typically best if boiled
or quick roasted for use in salads.
As you can clearly see, not all potatoes
are created equally. As a chef and cooking
teacher, the problem I see most with my
Potato
umplings 101
08
students is that they use the wrong potato and
don’t follow a standardized recipe for the dish
they are preparing. Too much flour, too much
water and excessive kneading can definitely play
havoc on your dumpling making.
A good starting point for beginning dumpling
makers is to use this “tried and true” chef secret.
For every 3 pounds of boiled russet potatoes,
you will need to add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1
extra large egg and 1 tsp. of sea salt.
The boiled, skin-on potatoes are removed from
the pot, slightly cooled, peeled and then mashed
through a hand ricer (The hand ricer is very
important).