Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dough
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 60 ml water, warm
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 5 g kosher salt
Beef Filling
- 250 g cooked beef brisket, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 30 ml schmaltz, rendered
- 1 egg
- 3 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Broth and Garnish
- 1500 ml chicken broth, clear, rich quality
- 10 g fresh dill, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, two eggs, warm water, vegetable oil, and salt. Stir the mixture continuously until a shaggy dough begins to form.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead firmly for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough becomes perfectly smooth and elastic.
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or place an inverted bowl over it. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
While the dough rests, heat the schmaltz or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and sauté for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden brown and caramelized.
In a food processor, combine the chopped cooked beef and the hot caramelized onions. Pulse the mixture in short bursts until it resembles a coarse, cohesive paste. Do not puree into a complete mush.
Transfer the processed meat mixture to a medium bowl. Add the remaining egg, kosher salt, and black pepper, mixing thoroughly until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Divide the rested dough in half to make it easier to handle. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is very thin, roughly 2 millimeters thick.
Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, slice the rolled dough into squares measuring approximately 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) on each side.
Place one teaspoon of the beef filling squarely in the center of each dough piece. Lightly brush the edges of the dough with water, fold diagonally to form a neat triangle, and press the edges firmly to seal out any air pockets. Bring the two opposite corners together and pinch them to form the traditional shape.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil (100°C/212°F). Gently drop the kreplach into the boiling water in small batches. Once they float to the surface, continue to boil for 3 to 4 minutes until the pasta is completely tender.
In a separate medium pot, gently heat the chicken broth until it reaches a low simmer (90°C/195°F).
Using a slotted spoon, safely remove the cooked kreplach from the boiling water, draining excess liquid, and divide them among serving bowls. Ladle the hot chicken broth over the dumplings and garnish with freshly chopped dill.
Chef's Notes
- Repurposing leftover meat from making chicken soup or boiled beef is highly traditional and imparts a profound, savory depth of flavor that fresh ground meat simply cannot replicate.
- Schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) is the hidden secret to an authentic, rich Ashkenazi flavor profile in the filling, though a neutral vegetable oil is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
- Do not boil the dumplings directly in the chicken soup. The starch released from the boiling pasta dough will turn your beautifully clear broth cloudy. Always boil them in heavily salted water first.
- Kreplach freeze exceptionally well. Freeze them raw on a parchment-lined baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container. You can boil them straight from frozen by adding a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the boiled kreplach and chicken broth in separate airtight containers to prevent the dumplings from disintegrating over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe bag. Boil directly from frozen.
