Spring Vibes: Butternockerl & Bärlauch-Brot-Pesto

Nocken have a long tradition here in the Salzkammergut.

Simple in the past. Hearty. Direct.

This version? Finer. Lighter. Refreshing. Young wild garlic brings freshness. Old bread provides depth. An interplay of texture, flavour and contrast.

Typical Lukas Nagl: clear, seasonal, reduced to the essentials. No fuss. Just good food.

The recipe: Butter dumplings with wild garlic bread pesto

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)

Wild garlic bread pesto:
- 125 g wild garlic
- ½ clove of garlic
- Msp. dried lavender flowers
- 50 g stale breadcrumbs (cut the edges of brown bread into thin slices, place on the oven/heating element to dry, grate finely like breadcrumbs)
- 60 g neutral sunflower oil
- salt
- black pepper

Butter dumplings:
- 5 eggs
- 200 g soft butter
- 100 g coarse wheat flour
- 100 g white breadcrumbs (made from dry white bread with the crusts removed)
- salt

Butter crumbs:
- 50 g butter
- 1 clove of garlic
- 100 g stale breadcrumbs (cut the edges of white or brown bread into thin slices, place on the oven/heater to dry, grate finely like breadcrumbs) or breadcrumbs
- salt
- 100 g mountain cheese
- wild herbs, e.g. fried ribwort plantain, if desired

Let's cook.

• To make the pesto, roughly chop the wild garlic and blend well in a blender with the garlic, lavender flowers and stale breadcrumbs. Slowly pour in the oil. Flavour with salt and pepper.

• Separate the eggs for the butter dumpling mixture. Beat the soft butter with a hand mixer until very fluffy, mix in the yolks one at a time. Mix the flour with the breadcrumbs. Beat the egg whites with the salt until not too stiff and fold into the mixture, alternating with the flour and breadcrumb mixture, first with a whisk (to equalise the consistency of the mixtures) and then with a dough scraper. Cover the mixture and leave to cool thoroughly in the fridge for 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 160 °C fan oven.

• For the butter crumbs, heat the butter and mix with the garlic using a hand blender. Mix into the breadcrumbs and rub well with your hands. Spread out flat on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast in the preheated oven, stirring frequently (every 5 minutes) until brown (takes approx. 30 minutes).
• Bring water to the boil in a large, wide pan and add salt. Using a spoon, cut out small dumplings or mounds from the dumpling mixture and place in the boiling water. Turn the heat down immediately and poach the dumplings for approx. 15-20 minutes (turn once halfway through and put the lid on the pan) over a low heat (leave to simmer below boiling point).
• Grate the mountain cheese.
• Remove the butter dumplings with a sieve scoop and place in a deep plate or dish, sprinkle with butter crumbs and cheese and serve with the pesto. Garnish with wild herbs if desired.

What to drink.

Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio or acidic rosé.

More Spring Inspiration from the Salzkammergut.

You want more? Even more recipes, even more Salzkammergut. You can find the cookery book by Katharina Seiser & Lukas Nagl published by Brandstätter Verlag in our store and in the Greisslerei. Perfect for your next kitchen escapade.