Austrian Napkin Dumpling (Serviettenknödel)

Instructions

Whisk the milk, eggs and salt together. Pour this over the bread cubes and chopped parsley in a large bowl and toss so the liquid coats as much of the bread as possible. Leave it to rest.

Chop the onion and sauté it in the butter. Let it cool until it will no longer cook an egg, then stir it into the bread mixture.

Let the mixture rest for an hour, stirring it once or twice. Each cube should take up liquid on every side, which matters most if your bread is more than a few days old.

Wet a clean cotton dishcloth, tea towel or cloth napkin and spread it out flat. You can brush the top with melted butter for extra flavor, though it is not needed. Place the bread mixture in the middle of the cloth.

Shape the mixture into a log about 3 inches (6 cm) thick. Roll it up tightly in the cloth and tie both ends with string or twine. A third tie around the middle keeps the cloth from puckering.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Lower the wrapped dumpling in slowly and cook it for 40 minutes.

Lift it out with tongs, or two forks if that is all you have, and set it on a large cutting board. Cut off the string, then unroll and remove the cloth. A wooden board is best because it absorbs the excess water from the cloth.

Starting at one end, cut slices about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Slice only as many as you need so the rest of the dumpling stays warm.