My step mom suggested I should make 'Verheiratete' for you, which is a Saarland specialty recipe that 'marries' potatoes and dumplings in a creamy herb sauce. The sauce is finished with lemon, bacon, and parsley and so flavorful! It's the ultimate German comfort food, a fun food excursion to the Saarland region of Germany, where my dad and step-mom live. And the best part: it's budget- and kid-friendly!
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What is Verheiratete?
Verheiratete is a German potato and dumpling recipe that's not just for married people! Even though it directly translates to 'married people,' mainly because we're combining the two starches and heroes from this recipe, potatoes, and homemade dumplings, in a creamy sauce with herbs and lemon. The final touch: some bacon and fresh chopped parsley. So when my Stiefmama (stepmom) suggested I give this recipe a home on my blog, I felt intrigued. My Papa (dad) and Stiefmama live in Saarbrücken after all, which is the capital of the Saarland state of Germany and where this dish was born.
Why combine potatoes and dumplings in one dish?
Well honestly, why not? I had my initial hesitations about adding potatoes and dumplings as well. But I also very much a lover of all things starches! The more, the merrier is really how I feel about them. So trying this combination didn't throw me off too much.
Honestly, once it all came together, I couldn't get enough! The simplicity, deliciousness, and comfort of Verheiratete are convincing! Even better: my kids were total fans, too!
Which tools do I need?
If you don't already own this kitchen tool, you may want to invest in a skimmer. The boiling water in this recipe serves two purposes:
1. to cook the potatoes that take a little longer to cook and
2. to cook the dumplings that take no time at all to cook. After boiling the potatoes, you will remove them from the boiling water with the said tool and then drop the dumpling dough bits in that same water, saving dishes and time. But not if you don't have a skimmer.
On a side note: If you've ever made Spätzle noodles or homemade Berliner, a skimmer comes in handy here, too. Anytime you're working in batches and you'll want to reserve the hot water or oil for the next batch, this tool is a game changer.
A fine grater would be great to have if you're using whole nutmeg (my Oma Inge taught me a long time ago that grating nutmeg fresh on demand is so worth it!).
Which sparkling water do you recommend?
There is sparkling water in the dumpling batter, which helps to keep them light.
For the sparkling water in this recipe and for general consumption, I recommend Gerolsteiner. It's from a water source very close to where I grew up in Trier. And I've always loved the taste of Gerolsteiner's mineral-rich water and have made a couple of field trips to the factory growing up and I may just take my kids there one day!
We recently invested in a SodaStream bubbly water maker though and if you don't have one yet, maybe it's the time! We love ours! We've saved so many trips to the store this way and it's been a huge cost-saver, too. Because Jason knows I can't live without my Sprudel!
What are some more foods from the Saarland region?
Schwenkbraten is a super delicious onion and seasoning marinated pork that's then finished (ideally) on a Schwenkgrill, a 'swaying grill.' We have recently constructed our own Schwenkgrill and while it's not perfect, it works pretty well. It tastes exceptionally good with my Oma's creamy potato salad.
I also use a variation of my Schwenkbraten marinate in my Raclette recipe that you must check out (it's also so fun to use Raclette outside in the summer time!).
Another suggestion my Stiefmama had was to grill a ring of Fleischwurst (German bologna) because it turns out that's a very Saarland-esque thing to do (and I can't believe this was the first time that I grilled some Fleischwurst!). It was so good!! Supposedly, there is even a dish to put the Fleischwurst in before grilling and my Stiefmama has one. I'll be sure to take a picture of it when I go back to Germany next time!
So go ahead and give this Saarland specialty called Verheiratete a try! It's a perfect German meat and potato kind of dish (especially if you add the Fleischwurst!) that I am sure nobody would turn down. I'd love it if you let me know how it goes by leaving a comment below!
Saarland Potatoes and Dumplings (Verheiratete)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dumplings Ingredients
- 200 grams flour
- 2 eggs
- nutmeg, salt, pepper
- sparkling water
Other Ingredients
- 800 grams waxy potatoes like red potatoes or a waxy potato medley
- 100 grams thick-cut bacon
- 200 milliliter heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh, see note
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon fresh, see note
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ lemon juice only
Instructions
- To make the dough, combine flour, eggs with some salt, pepper and nutmeg (finely grating whole nutmeg on demand I learned from my Oma Inge is the way to go!), then gradually whisk in some sparkling water until you have a thick dough. Set aside to rest.200 grams flour, 2 eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sparkling water
- Quarter the potatoes and boil in salted water until done. In the meantime, medium dice the thick-cut bacon and cook in a pan over medium heat until crisp. Allow to drain on a paper towel, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Turn off the heat.800 grams waxy potatoes, 100 grams thick-cut bacon
- Remove the boiled potatoes from the water using a strainer. Gradually add the dumpling dough to the boiling water using two spoons, until you've used up all the dough. My dumplings ended up a little bit big. If you'd like to have smaller dumplings, use smaller spoons to shape your dumplings.
- Once the dumplings rise to the surface, allow to boil for one more minute, then drain.
- Add butter to the bacon grease and turn heat to medium. Add potatoes and noodles once the butter has melted and cook for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown. Add the herbs and cook for another minute. Then add the cream and lemon juice. The sauce will thicken quickly from the starches in the dumplings and potatoes.½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 Tablespoon butter, 200 milliliter heavy whipping cream
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with chopped, fresh parsley and the crisped bacon pieces. If you'd like to feel extra Saarland-style, serve with a grilled ring of bologna (Fleischwurst) like it's so common to do in Germany's Saarland region!½ lemon, salt and pepper
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