Canederli (bread dumplings)

Method

1. 1 We added chopped parsley and chives to the bread and mixed cured meats chopped into little pieces. The amount and the kind of “seasoning” for canederli are very much a matter of taste, my friend and teacher Manuela told me the general rule is “when in doubt, better too much than too little”.
2. 2 We added about 100 g of flour, then we mixed everything together.
3. 3 In a bowl we beat the eggs with the milk, in all we used 16 eggs, in the video you can see my friend cracking 8 eggs, those are the ones for one bowl, the milk is a little less than a glass, watch the video to get an idea.
4. 4 After adding the eggs and milk to the mixture we started working it with our hands, it is very important to judge the right consistency.
5. 5 As the mixture was a bit dry we added some water to soften it a little, it has to become moist but not too wet. The pieces of bread are damp on the outside but still stay fairly dry inside.
6. 6 Then you have to leave the mixture to rest for about ten minutes, this way the bread absorbs the remaining moisture and softens completely.
7. 7 At this point you can start shaping the balls. With damp hands take a little of the mixture and start pressing it together, it has to become very compact, then form the ball.
8. 8 At the end wet one hand and give the ball a last pass with the wet hand, this step is very important. If the canederli are badly made they fall apart once they go into the boiling water to cook and you end up with a ball of wet bread. If instead they are well made the canederli will cook without losing their shape and texture.
9. 9 They cook in lightly salted water for 15 minutes, if you drop them into the water frozen then they need 5 minutes more.