Raspeball

Raspeball (Norwegian Potato Dumplings)

A hearty western Norwegian winter staple: grated raw potato bound with barley flour, often wrapped around a piece of salted pork and simmered in the meat's broth. Dense, savoury and traditionally served with melted butter, bacon, mashed swede and boiled potatoes.

Prep

40 min

Cook

45 min

Total

85 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1000 g (2¼ lb) floury potatoes (e.g. King Edward or Bambino), peeled, for grating raw
• •150 g (1⅓ cups) barley flour (byggmel), or use 100 g barley flour + 50 g wheat flour if barley flour is unavailable
• •50 g (⅓ cup) wheat flour, plain/all-purpose, for adjusting consistency
• •10 g (1¾ tsp) fine salt, plus extra for the cooking water
• •400 g (14 oz) salted pork belly or side pork (saltet kjøtt), or thick-cut bacon; if using very salty cured pork, soak in cold water for 2–4 hours and change the water twice
• •4 whole small pieces smoked bacon, for frying on top, about 100 g / 3½ oz total
• •60 g (4 tbsp) butter, for serving, melted
• •500 g (1 lb) swede (rutabaga), peeled and cubed, for mash
• •1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• •400 g (14 oz) potatoes, peeled, for boiling alongside

Steps

1. 1 If using salted pork belly, soak in cold water for 2–4 hours, changing the water twice, to draw out excess salt. Drain, then place the pork in a large pot with about 1.5 litres (6 cups) cold water. Bring to a gentle boil, skim any scum, then simmer partially covered for 30 minutes until the pork is tender but still holds together. Lift out the pork, reserve the broth, and cut the pork into 8 pieces.
2. 2 While the pork simmers, peel the raw potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater, or pulse briefly in a food processor - do not purée; you want a coarse, wet pulp. Tip into a bowl and stir in the barley flour, 50 g (⅓ cup) wheat flour, salt and black pepper. The mixture should be thick and scoopable; add the remaining wheat flour a spoonful at a time if it is very wet. Rest 10 minutes - the potato will release more liquid, so check the consistency again and adjust.
3. 3 Wet your hands. Take a handful of dough (about 100 g / 3½ oz), flatten it in your palm, place a piece of salted pork in the centre, and fold the dough around it, sealing well and shaping into a smooth oval ball roughly the size of a large egg. Repeat with the remaining dough and pork, making about 8 dumplings. If you prefer, make some without meat.
4. 4 Bring the reserved pork broth back to a bare simmer (not a rolling boil, which can break the dumplings). Lower the raspeball carefully into the broth - add a splash of hot water if they are not nearly covered. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, turning them once halfway.
5. 5 Add the peeled, cubed potatoes to the pot around the dumplings and continue simmering for another 15–20 minutes. The raspeball are done when they feel firm but springy when pressed with a finger, the floury taste is gone, and the centre pork reaches at least 75°C / 165°F on a probe thermometer. Total simmering time for the dumplings is about 35–40 minutes.
6. 6 Meanwhile, boil the swede in salted water until completely tender, about 20–25 minutes. Drain well, mash with a knob of butter, a splash of the cooking water, salt and pepper, and keep warm.
7. 7 Fry the smoked bacon slices in a dry pan over medium heat until crisp and golden, about 5–7 minutes, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper.
8. 8 Lift the raspeball out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately: each dumpling topped with a spoonful of the hot broth, a generous pour of melted butter, crisp bacon, a mound of swede mash and boiled potatoes on the side.