Blodpalt

Blodpalt (Finnish Blood Dumplings)

Blodpalt are hearty northern-Finnish dumplings made from a rye-and-barley dough bound with grated raw potato, traditionally served with lingonberry jam and a pool of warm melted butter. The 'blood' in the name comes from the dark rye flour, which gives the cooked dumplings their deep, almost chocolate-brown color.

Prep

25 min

Cook

25 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8½ oz / ~2 cups) dark rye flour, traditionally the source of 'blood'; substitute whole-grain rye if unavailable
• •150 g (5¼ oz / ~1 cup) barley flour, or fine barley meal; substitute with additional rye flour if needed
• •120 g (4¼ oz / ~1 cup) all-purpose wheat flour
• •200 g (7 oz / 1 medium-large) raw potato, russet or other starchy variety, peeled
• •500 ml (2 cups) water, plus more for the cooking pot
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •100 g (3½ oz / 7 Tbsp) unsalted butter, for serving
• •120 g (½ cup) lingonberry jam, cloudberry or red currant jam also traditional

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a gentle simmer; reduce to a bare simmer while you form the dumplings.
2. 2 Finely grate the raw peeled potato on the smallest holes of a box grater (or pulse in a food processor until coarsely grated). Work quickly so it doesn't discolor.
3. 3 In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, barley flour, wheat flour and salt. Add the grated potato and toss with your fingers so the potato shreds separate and coat in flour.
4. 4 Pour in 500 ml (2 cups) water and mix first with a wooden spoon, then by hand, to form a thick, sticky, spoonable batter - it should drop from a spoon in heavy ribbons, not run. If stiff, add water 1 Tbsp at a time; if loose, dust with more rye flour.
5. 5 Wet your hands and portion the batter into oval dumplings about 6 cm (2½ in) long and 4 cm (1½ in) thick, smoothing each so it holds together (roughly 70-80 g / 2½ oz each; you should get 12-14 dumplings).
6. 6 Lower the dumplings into the barely simmering water - do not boil vigorously or they will break apart. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes.
7. 7 Test for doneness: a dumpling is ready when it floats, feels firm when pressed, and a skewer pushed into the center comes out clean with no raw batter clinging to it. Cut one open to check - the interior should be evenly dark and fully set, with no wet streaks.
8. 8 Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a clean kitchen towel.
9. 9 Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat until it turns a light golden brown and smells nutty, about 3-4 minutes.
10. 10 Add the dumplings to the skillet, turn to coat in the browned butter, and warm through for 1-2 minutes per side.
11. 11 Serve hot, 3-4 dumplings per person, with a generous spoonful of warm browned butter poured over and a dollop of lingonberry jam on the side.