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Komle (Norwegian potato dumplings with salted pork and swede mash)

45

Raspeball, komle, kumle or klubb: every region of Norway has its own word for these big, soft barley-and-potato dumplings simmered in the broth from salted pork. Served with the meat, sweet swede and carrot mash, and a spoon of crisp bacon on top. Leftovers fried in a pan are half the reason for making them.

Time
255 min (30 prep + 225 cook)
Servings
4
Per serving
819 kcal
Protein
37 g

Ingredients

Pork and broth

Komle

Kålrotstappe

  • 1 1/2 lb rutabaga, swede (rutabaga), peeled and in chunks
  • 4 medium carrots, in chunks
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste, with the salty meat beside it
  • a good grating nutmeg

To serve

  • 8 1/2 oz raw fried bacon, bacon in small dice, fried crisp and drained

Steps

  1. Put the knuckle in a large, wide pot, cover with about 2.5 litres (10 cups) of cold water and bring to a boil. Skim, cover and simmer very gently for about 3 hours, until the meat loosens from the bone. You can do this a day ahead and keep the meat in its broth in the fridge. Lift out the meat, wrap it to keep warm and save the broth.
  2. Grate the raw potatoes finely, let them drain in a sieve for a few minutes and press out some of the liquid. Mash or grate the cooked potatoes, then mix both with the barley flour, wheat flour and salt into a soft dough that holds together. Work quickly, because grated potato darkens as it stands. Shape one small test ball and cook it in the broth for 10 minutes: if it falls apart, knead in a little more flour.
  3. Bring the broth just below a boil. With wet hands shape 8 round balls and lower them in carefully with a spoon. Keep the broth just shivering, with the lid off, for 30–40 minutes, turning the balls once, until firm right through.
  4. Meanwhile boil the swede and carrot in unsalted water for 30–35 minutes until very soft. Drain and mash with the butter, nutmeg and salt, tasting first, because the meat beside it is salty.
  5. Fry the bacon crisp in a dry pan and drain it on paper towel.
  6. Pull the meat from the bone in chunks and serve with 2 komle each, the mash and the bacon on top. Leftover komle keep 3 days in the fridge; slice them and fry in a little butter until golden.

Good to know

What does the barley do?

It gives the dumplings their grey-beige colour and mild, nutty sweetness. Using only wheat flour makes them paler and heavier.

Which meat is traditional?

Salted pork side, a smoked knuckle, salted lamb or vossakorv, and often a mix. Side pork gives a richer broth: a score of about 38 instead of 45.

Short of time?

A 14 oz piece of lean smoked ham simmered for 45 minutes, to 145°F, makes a quicker dinner, though the broth is thinner and the dumplings taste less of it.

Per

Calories
120
Protein
(18%)
5 g
Fat
(31%)
4 g
Carbohydrates
(50%)
16 g
of which sugar
3 g
Fiber
3 g
Sodium
240 mg

More meals

Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 3278 kcal goes into the pot and 2764 g of ingredients comes out as about 2735 g of food: 120 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.