Some days call for soul food. Like really you need it to take another breath on this damaged world we live in. Please tell me I am not the only one. While I am often drawn towards hot semolina for breakfast. I recently remembered “Quarkkeulchen”. Something my mom made only every once in a while. It’s a Saxonian dish, very regional in Germany. Not a lot of people know about it. It’s a shame because souldfood coming out of a pan is always a good idea. And Saxonian Quarkkeulchen are pretty much the best there are.
As so many great dishes it is actually a meal made of left overs. Here you traditionally use boiled potatoes. But let’s be honest there is no such thing as left over potatoes. At least not in this house. Maybe the reason why it’s not often made.
However I remember that there was a hack using some pre-made potatoes dumpling dough that you can buy almost in every supermarket (here in Germany at least).
Saxonian Quarkkeulchen – my souldfood of 2020:
- 375 g potato dumpling dough (aka Kloßmasse) – it’s half a package
- 250 g quark (curd)
- 50 g flour
- 1 tbsp sugar ( I often use brown sugar) – use more if you like it sweeter
- 1 egg
- a bit of grated lemon peel if you like
- raisin if you prefer
- cinnamon sugar
- apple sauce
- Whip up the dough by combining dumpling dough, quark, flour and egg. Add lemon and rain if you like.
- Heat a pan with oil or shortening and form small patties of the dough.
- Fry until golden brown and crisp on the outside and a bit mushy inside.
- Serve hot or cold with cinnamon sugar and applesauce.
If you prefer to not use dumpling dough you can easy boil up potatoes, let them cool and grate them. Perfect if you do come across some left overs.
Be warned this dish is very filling. But also very delicious so you might find yourself reaching for just one more even though you are already stuffed.
Now have you ever heard of this dish? Or even eaten it? And do you have one of those dishes that are very regional to were you live that your friends from the next town over might not even have heard about? I love those little hidden recipes that are handed down through generations, that you grow up with and casually mention and suddenly realize the person next to you has not the faintest idea what you talk about.
Well, you better get some potatoes boiling or shopping because you probably feel like having some Quarkkeulchen right now.
And if you are not to fond of sweets you might like my other very regional and all time favorite summer dish Schmorgurken.
Happy cooking
