Kroppkakor

The story

Kroppkakor are boiled potato dumplings with a center of diced salted pork, onion and allspice, a specialty of southeastern Sweden. Each district makes them its own way. On the island of Öland the dough is mostly grated raw potato with a little boiled potato; in Blekinge it is almost all raw potato, which gives the dense, grayish dumplings known there as gray kroppkakor. In Småland the ratio flips to mostly boiled potato, and on Gotland only boiled potato is used. Pork is the usual filling, though poorer households on Öland and in Blekinge once used eel or even seabirds. Farther north, a related dumpling made only from raw potato is called palt. Raw-potato kroppkakor simmer for about an hour and are served with melted butter and lingonberries, often with unwhipped cream poured over the top. Stockholm food guides still list kroppkakor among the country's potato classics, tracing them to Öland and Blekinge. This recipe follows the Öland style. Shape all twelve dumplings before the water boils, and keep the pot at a bare simmer so they hold together.