Kreplach Food

CHICKEN KREPLACH

Steps:

• Place the chicken into a large stock pot. Cover with 4 quarts of water.
• Bring water to a boil over medium high heat. Let the chicken boil for 10-15 minutes, skimming the foam and particles that rise to the surface of the water periodically, till most of the foam is gone.
• Replenish the liquid that was removed during scumming with hot water (it's usually around 1-2 cups). Do a final skimming to remove any leftover foam. Add the carrots, celery, parsley, peppercorns, cloves, and half the fresh dill to the pot. Add 2 tsp salt to the water (if you're salt sensitive or using a kosher salted bird, salt less). Bring back to a boil.Put the lid on the pot and vent it. Reduce heat to medium low so the soup is slowly simmering. Let the soup cook for 90 minutes. While the soup is cooking, mince up 1/4 cup of the remaining fresh dill and reserve.
• Heat 2 tbsp of corn oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the diced onion into the skillet. Let it fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, till the onion turns golden brown. Remove from heat. Reserve the onions and oil in the skillet.
• After 90 minutes of cooking, when the chicken is tender, turn off the heat. Use a pair of tongs to carefully pull the chicken from the broth. Put it on a plate. Taste the chicken broth and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Allow the chicken and the broth to cool.
• Meanwhile, make your kreplach dough. Beat 3 eggs and 3 tbsp of the corn oil in a small bowl till frothy. Reserve.
• Sift 1 1/2 cups of flour with 1 1/4 tsp of salt into your mixing bowl (if you're salt sensitive or on a low sodium diet, use less).
• In your mixing bowl, make a "well" in the center of the sifted flour and pour the beaten eggs in.
• Use a fork to mix the eggs into the flour until it is evenly moistened.
• Sift more flour into the bowl, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to stir until a soft dough forms. When the dough gets too thick to stir, use your hands to knead. Stop adding flour when the dough holds together and is only slightly sticky to the touch (it will be soft). Let it rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, carefully strain the broth into another pot through a mesh strainer. Reserve the vegetables; discard the spices and herbs. Skim the fat from the top of the broth and pour it into a bowl. Reserve the fatty liquid (schmaltz).
• Pull the meat from the chicken in small pieces.
• Chop up and measure out 1 1/2 cups of the boiled chicken pieces. Place the chopped chicken in a food processor. Add the fried onion with its oil, 3 tbsp of the chopped dill, and 2 tbsp of the reserved fatty liquid from the broth to the food processor. If you're feeling indulgent, you can also throw in some of the fatty chicken skin for a more silky filling texture (not healthy, but tasty!).
• Pulse the chicken mixture in the food processor till it becomes a chunky paste. You will only need to pulse it a few times. Don't over-process it, you don't want a puree-- it should still have texture, like tuna salad. Alternatively, you can mince the dill (and optional chicken skin) by hand, use a meat grinder for the chicken meat, and combine the mixture by hand.
• Put the chicken mixture into a bowl. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Don't be afraid to season generously, kreplach can turn out bland if you don't season it well. I like to add plenty of black pepper.
• Now you are ready to roll your dough. Cover your rolling surface with a thin layer of sifted flour. Scoop up half of the dough from the bowl; cover the remaining dough with a slightly damp towel. Lightly flour your rolling pin. Roll out the dough till it's very thin, flipping the dough occasionally and reflouring the board and rolling pin as needed. Some people like their kreplach on the thicker side (more dumpling-like), some like it thinner (more wonton-like). For a thicker dumpling texture, roll it out to 1/8 inch thick. For a more delicate texture, roll it out as thin as possible without tearing the dough.
• I usually stop rolling when the dough is translucent-- when I can almost see through the dough when I hold it up to the light. When it's rolled out thin enough to your liking, it's ready to cut.
• TRIANGLE KREPLACH: Cut the dough into strips 3 inches wide. Cut 3 inch squares from the strips. Gather any remaining scraps and place them in the bowl with the other half of the dough and recover with the damp towel.
• Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of each square. Wet your finger and run it around the edge of the square.
• Fold one corner to the opposite corner to create a triangle. Seal the triangle by pinching the seal gently with your fingers. This shape is typically made for the Purim holiday.
• HALF MOON KREPLACH: Use a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass to cut 3-inch circles from the dough. Gather any remaining scraps and place them in the bowl with the other half of the dough and recover with the damp towel.
• Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of each circle. Wet your finger and run it around the edge of the circle.
• Fold the circle in half to create a half moon shape. Seal the kreplach by pinching the seal gently with your fingers. Roll the curved edge towards you to create a raised edge around the curve.
• THREE CORNER KREPLACH: Use a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass to cut 3-inch circles from the dough. Gather any remaining scraps and place them in the bowl with the other half of the dough and recover with the damp towel.
• Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of each circle. Wet your finger and run it around the edge of the circle.
• Take the two upper edges of the circle and fold them together over the top half of the filling. Pinch to seal. The bottom half of the filling will still be visible.
• Fold the lower flap of the circle up and over the bottom half of the filling. Pinch to create an edge and seal the kreplach closed.Once you've assembled your first batch of kreplach, gather the other half of the dough and the scraps. Roll it out and repeat the cutting and folding process. If you have enough scraps, repeat the process once more.
• You should end up with 40-50 kreplach (if you rolled the dough out thicker, you will end up with less).
• Once your kreplach are assembled, there are two ways to cook them. The most popular way is in boiling water or in the soup broth. Cook them in boiling water if you are feeding a large crowd; the kreplach will soak up some of the broth, which will make for one or two less servings of soup. I prefer to cook them straight in the broth so they soak up the chicken flavor-- you may end up with a little less broth, but your kreplach will taste amazing. You can always top the soup off with a little canned or boxed chicken broth if you need to.Bring the broth or water to a boil. Gently drop the kreplach into the pot. At first they will sink to the bottom, then they will slowly start to rise to the surface.
• Some people say to let the kreplach cook till they all float to the surface (which only takes about 5 minutes). I like to cook them for a bit longer-- around 20 minutes-- so they get nice and tender. You can test them to see when they're cooked and soft enough for you. While the kreplach are cooking, chop up the cooked vegetables and add them back to the pot (I usually just use the carrots) along with the remaining tablespoon of chopped fresh dill. You can also add some of the leftover soup chicken pieces, if you'd like. Store any remaining soup chicken pieces in an airtight plastic zipper bag for future use.When the kreplach are cooked to your liking, serve them in bowls of the hot soup broth.
• Some people like to pan fry the kreplach after they are boiled them to make them crisp. If you want to fry the kreplach, it's best to fold them in either the triangle or half moon shape-- these shapes have a more flat and even frying surface. First boil, then drain the kreplach. Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a skillet over medium until hot enough to fry. Place the kreplach into the skillet and let them fry on each side until golden brown.Serve hot. My husband's family likes to serve the kreplach boiled with a small amount of broth ladled over, topped with melted margarine (or butter, if you're not keeping kosher) and chopped walnuts. It's a Russian tradition from his father's side of the family. No matter how you choose to serve them, homemade kreplach are out-of-this-world delish!

KREPLACH

Steps:

• To Make Dough: Combine flour, salt and oil.
• In a separate bowl beat egg yolks, water, and baking powder.
• Add to flour mixture.
• Knead dough until it is smooth.
• Roll out on a flour covered board.
• With a glass or cup that is about 3 inches in diameter, press and cut dough into circles.
• Filling: Saute onion. Then brown the meat about 5 minutes. Remove and cool.
• After meat and onion mix is cooled, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, egg, and bread crumbs and mix well.
• Add 1 tablespoon of filling on a dough circle.
• Fold dough over meat mixture into dumpling like triangles.
• Moisten the edges of the dough with top of finger dipped in cold water to keep seams closed.
• Boil for 20 minutes until they float to top and serve in soup or as a sidedish. Or fry until golden brown and serve as sidedish.

FRIED. KREPLACH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs and add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup water. Slowly add the flour and mix gently, kneading as you go. Dough should be smooth, but not too dry. Add a little water if needed. Let rest in bowl, uncovered, for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting prepare the filling.
• If using cooked brisket, just fill the dough with 1 tbsp. of brisket. Fold over the shape and press the edges down. If using uncooked brisket or uncooked ground beef, do the following: Heat chicken fat (or oil) in a large skillet and add the onions, 1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper. In a medium bowl, mix the beef with the egg and add to the skillet. Cook until meat is fully cooked. Let the meat mixture cool before filling the dough.
• On a floured board, roll out the dough. Cut into 3 inch squares or circles, using a drinking glass or biscuit cutter, or cut into triangles. Fill each shape with 1 tbsp. of the meat mixture and cover each by pulling the dough over the filling and pressing down on the edges.
• After filling the dough, let the kreplach dry on a plate or paper towels for about 1 hour. Boil water and add a little salt. Add the kreplach and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Fry kreplach for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Watch to make sure they don't burn. Let kreplach drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• In a small bowl, mix apricot preserves with 1-2 tsp. of Dijon mustard. Mix well. Taste and add more or less mustard to your liking (you are looking for a sweet/sour balance). Serve with fried kreplach.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add beef, onions, salt and pepper to taste, cinnamon, and nuts; cook until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat and let cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, eggs, and water; mix until dough is smooth. Roll the dough into a ball and cut into 10 pieces.
• On a floured board, roll flat each piece of dough; cut out 5 circles, about 3 inches in diameter. Place about 1 teaspoon of meat filling in the middle of each circle; fold the dough over and seal the edges with a small amount of water.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; drop in kreplach a few at a time. Cook for 4 minutes or until kreplach float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon; serve.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• For the dough:.
• Process flour, salt, eggs in food processor with the metal blade.
• With the machine running, add water. The mixture needs to form a ball. (My mother and I do this the old fashioned way without the aid of a food processor).
• Knead for 30 seconds, adding either more water or more flour to get correct consistency. Wrap dough in plastic while preparing meat.
• For the meat filling:.
• If you are using raw meat, cook it with onion and garlic in frying pan. Otherwise cook onion and garlic in small amount of oil.
• Put cooked meat, onion and garlic in food processor and process until just smooth. Add egg, salt and pepper.
• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 parts so that it does not dry out while filling.
• Roll each portion into a very thin rectangle and cut int 3 inch squares. On each square, put a tablespoon or so of filling, and close into a triangle, wetting the edges and pressing them tightly.
• To cook the kreplach, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop the kreplach into the water and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain well.
• Serve in traditional chicken soup. The parboiled kreplach can be frozen or refrigerated before using.

CHICKEN KREPLACH SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup base: Combine the chicken, onion, carrot chunks, celery chunks, parsnip chunks, garlic, dill, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large pot. Add cold water to cover by 2 inches (about 5 quarts). Bring to a simmer, then simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool, then strain the broth (you should have about 3 1/2 quarts). Shred the chicken into a medium bowl, discarding the skin and bones. (You'll have 2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken meat.)
• For the kreplach: Combine the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Mix the eggs, vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons cold water in a spouted measuring cup. With the processor running, pour in the egg mixture and process until the dough forms a ball on the blade, about 30 seconds. (If the dough doesn't form a ball after 30 seconds or is too crumbly, adjust with a tablespoon or so of flour if too loose or a tablespoon or so of water if too crumbly.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add to the shredded chicken along with the chopped dill, lemon zest and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
• Cut the rested dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 pieces (12 pieces in all). On a floured surface, press, pat or roll a chunk of dough to about a thin 3-inch round. Hold the round in the palm of your hand and add 2 tablespoons filling. Press the dough closed to encase the filling and form a ball, twisting and tearing off any excess dough. Set twisted-side down on a floured baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. (Any remaining filling can be added to the soup!)
• Heat the stock over medium heat and add the diced carrot, celery and parsnip. Simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Add the kreplach (dusting off any excess flour) and simmer until the dough is tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Serve the soup in bowls with slices of lemon and garnished with fresh dill.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, eggs, and salt, as if making pasta. You will probably need to add about 5 to 6 tablespoons of water to reach the desired elasticity in the dough. Work it on a floured board, kneading for about 10 minutes. When it's smooth and elastic, pull it into something resembling a square. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
• Place the chicken fat in a heavy saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions are medium-brown, about 10 minutes. Place the onions in the work bowl of a food processor, and add the sliced beef and allspice. Puree until smooth. Taste, and season well with salt and pepper.
• Roll out the kreplach dough into a large square, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into smaller squares, about 2-inches each. You should have about 24 squares. Divide the beef mixture among them, placing a tablespoon or so of the beef mixture on the center of each square. Triangular kreplach are traditional; fold each square once to form a triangle, then pinch the edges with your fingers. You could also make square or rectangular kreplach, depending on how you fold and pinch.
• To cook the kreplach, drop them in a pot of boiling chicken soup. Traditionally, they are cooked for half an hour or so, until the noodle is soft. An alternative, giving the noodle a more AItalian@ bite, is to cook them for 15 minutes. Serve the kreplach in soup, 3 to 4 to each bowl.
• Note: Though it is traditional to serve these kreplach in chicken soup (3 to 4 per bowl), they can also make a terrific Jewish Apasta@ dish. For authenticity's sake, you can't use dairy products in the sauce but a thickened saute of mushrooms (in a vegetable oil, of course) would be a great topping
• Drink: Seltzer

KREPLACH

Steps:

• Prepare 1 of the 3 fillings and refrigerate before you begin preparing dough:
• Meat Filling
• 1. Heat corn oil in a skillet; sauté onions until nicely browned, remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add meat to the pan and sauté on high heat, stirring frequently until all meat is browned. Put the onions back in, and sauté with meat, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Let cool.
• 2. In a bowl, thoroughly mix meat-onion mixture with all remaining ingredients.
• Potato Filling
• 1. Heat corn oil in a skillet, and sauté onions until nicely browned. At the last minute, add garlic, which browns quickly.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine onion-garlic mixture with all other ingredients, and blend thoroughly.
• Cheese Filling
• 1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and blend thoroughly.
• Make wrappers and cook:
• 1. Sift flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a large bowl, and create a well in the center.
• 2. Pour eggs into the well, and, wetting your hands, knead into a dough. Add water, and continue kneading until dough is smooth. Roll dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 3. On a well-floured board, roll dough as close as possible to paper-thinness with a floured rolling pin. Cut into 2-inch squares. You can roll each individual square a bit thinner before you fill it. Have bowl with beaten egg, a teaspoon, and filling at hand.
• 4. Place a flatware teaspoon of filling in the center of the square and fold diagonally to create a triangle. Seal sides with egg mixture.
• 5. Bring a pot of water to a vigorous boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, drop in the kreplach, and cook for 20 minutes. Serve in chicken soup or, for dairy fillings, with sour cream and fried onions.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• 1. For Filling: In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Toward end of cooking add garlic, and stir well.
• 2. Add beef, breaking it up well with side of wooden spoon. Sauté until it has lost its raw color. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• 3. For dough: Mound flour on a wooden board (or in a large mixing bowl). Make a well in center. Break eggs into well, then add 2 tablespoons lukewarm water. With a fork, beat eggs and water together, incorporating a bit of the flour. As liquids blend, continue to push flour into well. Drizzle in 2 more tablespoons water, one at a time, or as needed to make a cohesive dough.
• 4. When dough is well blended, mix it by hand, then begin to knead it on a flat surface. With a bench scraper, turn dough and press it with your fingertips, then knead a few strokes again. The dough should remain slightly sticky but become smooth and elastic; if dough is very sticky, lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Form dough into a ball and let rest on the board, covered with a bowl or a piece of plastic wrap, for 30 minutes.
• 5. Using half the dough at a time, and keeping other half covered, roll out very thin on floured board. You may need to stretch as you roll. Alternately, use a crank-handled pasta machine on thinnest or near thinnest setting.
• 6. To fill and shape kreplach, cut rolled dough into 3-inch squares. Put 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in center of each square. With a brush or a finger, moisten edges of squares with water. Fold dough from corner to corner, forming a triangle, and seal carefully.
• 7. To Boil:bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add kreplach -- do not crowd pot -- and boil until dough is cooked and tender to taste, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and cool. (Kreplach can be frozen at this point. To use, thaw in refrigerator or at room temperature.)
• 8. To Deep Fry: Deep Fry in vegetable oil at 350 degrees until golden brown. Serve with Fried Onions.
• 9. To Pan Fry: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1/8-inch vegetable oil. When oil is shimmering, add boiled kreplach and fry until well browned and crispy on both sides. You can also add them from the raw state into simmering soups 8-10 minutes before you will serve the soup.