Entree: Italy – Trentino-Alto Adige – Cajinci (Rustic Trentino-Alto Adige bread dumplings with speck and alpine cheese, boiled and served with browned butter and sage)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 30 min

Cook 15 min

Additional 15 min

Total 1 hr

Ingredients

- 8 oz (225 g) stale country bread, cut into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) cubes
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed
- 2 large (approx. 100 g) eggs
- 6 oz (170 g) speck, diced
- 4 oz (115 g) alpine cheese such as fontina or asiago, grated
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 8–10 fresh sage leaves
- Optional: chicken or vegetable stock for serving, warmed

Instructions

1. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and pour warmed milk over them; let soak 10 minutes until softened. Stir in eggs, grated cheese, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper; mix to combine.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter and sauté diced speck and chopped onion until speck is lightly browned and onion is soft, about 4–5 minutes; cool slightly and fold into the bread mixture.
3. Add 1/4 cup (30 g) flour to the mixture and stir until it holds together; if too wet, add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time until the mixture can be formed into balls.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. With wet hands, form the mixture into golf-ball-sized dumplings (about 8–10 dumplings) and drop them into the simmering water. Cook 12–15 minutes until dumplings are cooked through and float.
5. While dumplings cook, melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter in a skillet over medium heat; add sage leaves and cook until butter is nutty brown and fragrant.
6. Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and transfer to the skillet; toss gently to coat in browned butter and sage. Serve immediately, optionally with a ladle of warm stock or extra grated cheese.