Kartacze: Polish potato dumplings with pork

Cook and cool the potatoes.Put the 450 g peeled potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 18–22 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain, return to the warm pan over low heat for 1–2 minutes to steam-dry, then rice or mash until smooth. Spread on a shallow tray and cool until no longer hot.

Season and chill the pork.Combine the ground pork with the grated onion, 5 g salt, pepper, marjoram and garlic. Mix just until evenly seasoned. Divide into 12 portions of about 42 g, cover and refrigerate while preparing the potatoes. Wash your hands and clean and sanitize the work surface and utensils used for raw pork.

Grate and drain the raw potatoes.Finely grate the 1,200 g raw potatoes. Set a clean lint-free cloth or fine sieve over a bowl, add the potato pulp and squeeze firmly until damp rather than dripping. Keep the liquid and leave it undisturbed for 10–15 minutes. Pour off the water carefully, leaving the white starch sediment behind; scrape that starch into the drained pulp.

Mix and test the dough.Combine the raw potato pulp and recovered starch with the cooled riced potatoes and 8 g salt. Mix in 120 g potato starch, holding back up to 50 g. The dough should be pliable and hold its shape. Shape one small test dumpling and simmer it. If it breaks, mix reserved starch into the remaining dough a spoonful at a time and test again. Do not add wheat flour.

Fill and seal.Bring the 6 l water and 18 g salt to a boil in a 10 l stockpot, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. With damp hands, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Flatten one portion in your palm, place a cold pork portion in the center, wrap it fully and pinch the seam shut. Smooth any cracks and form an even oval about 10 cm long, roughly 150–200 g. Keep shaped dumplings chilled if they need to wait.

Simmer and check.Lower three or four dumplings into the water at a time; avoid crowding and a rolling boil. Once they float, simmer for 20–25 minutes, turning gently once if needed. Lift the largest dumpling from the batch, cut it open and insert a thin-probe thermometer into the center of the pork. The filling must reach at least 71.1 °C. Check that the potato shell is fully cooked too. If the center is cooler, return the batch to the simmer for 5 minutes and check again. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.

Make the optional topping and serve.While a batch cooks, slowly render the diced pork belly in a wide pan over medium-low heat. When crisp and golden, add the sliced onion and fry until browned and soft. Spoon the topping over two hot kartacze per person.