Catholic Recipe: Nockerln

Also Called: Dumplings; Nöckerln

Had you lived in Austria before the war, November 15 would have been your harvest feast day. This date was kept for St. Leopold, and many of the celebrations of St. Martin were transferred to this day. It became the Goose Day when the fat old birds were plucked and their down was stuffed into billowy Austrian feather beds. This was the New-wine Day when the first bouquet of the wine was sniffed appreciatively as it rose from the must. This was a real feast day when every good Austrian counted his sausages by the yard and thanked St. Leopold for his fine goulash mit nockerln.

These frosty days of fall are perfect for the making of Goulash. If you have veal, make the Austrian variety. If you have pork, make Gulyas from Hungary. The perfect accompaniment for goulash is a steaming bowl of dumplings.

DIRECTIONS

Cream butter. Add eggs and salt. Beat in flour and milk alternately. If dough seems too thin, add flour; if it seems heavy, add milk. Dip a teaspoon in hot water; then spoon dough into boiling salted water. Cook about five minutes.