Canederli allo Speck in BrodoSpeck Bread Dumplings in Broth

Start the broth and skim

• 1 Briefly rinse the whole 600 g piece of beef ribs under running water, pat dry and place in a deep pot at least 24 cm in diameter.
• 2 Pour in 3000 ml cold water and heat uncovered over medium heat.
• 3 When the surface begins to tremble and gray-white scum rises, use a ladle to remove only the scum and wipe foam from the pot sides with damp paper. Repeat for 10–15 minutes.
• 4 Once no more scum appears, reduce the heat until only 1–2 bubbles rise every 5 seconds, at 88–92°C.

Add aromatic vegetables and simmer gently for 3 hours

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 3-hour simmer, every 30 minutes.) Return to the pot and skim off floating scum and fat with a ladle.
• 2 Meanwhile(About 1 hour 20 minutes after starting the simmer.) Begin preparing the canederli in steps 3–8. Preparation takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, finishing with the 3-hour simmer.
• 3 Halve the 100 g onion for the broth lengthways, leaving the skin on. Place cut-side down in an unoiled frying pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes to darken the cut surfaces to deep brown.
• 4 Stud 1 of the browned onion halves with 2 cloves and add to the pot.
• 5 Add 100 g carrot, peeled and halved lengthways; 80 g celery, strings removed and cut into 10 cm lengths; 1 bay leaf; and 6 black peppercorns.
• 6 Set the lid halfway ajar and simmer for 3 hours over very low heat, at 88–92°C, with the surface only trembling.

Soften the bread in milk

• 1 Meanwhile(Once during the 30-minute soaking period.) Skim scum and fat from the broth surface with a ladle.
• 2 Cut 250 g stale white bread, including the crust, into 1 cm cubes and place in a large bowl.
• 3 Warm 250 ml milk in a small saucepan to about body temperature, approximately 35°C, and pour evenly over the bread.
• 4 Turn just 2–3 times with a spatula to move the bread from bottom to top, level the surface, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Sauté the speck and onion

• 1 Cut 150 g speck into 5 mm cubes and finely chop the 60 g onion for the dough.
• 2 Melt 30 g butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. When the bubbles become fine, add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until translucent without coloring.
• 3 Add the speck and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until the fat becomes transparent and the edges shrink slightly; turn off the heat.

Cool the sautéed filling

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 10-minute cooling time.) Finely chop 10 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, grate 30 g Grana Padano and beat 2 room-temperature eggs in a bowl.
• 2 Spread the cooked speck and onion with their fat on a tray and cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Combine the canederli dough

• 1 Add the 2 beaten eggs to the bowl of softened bread.
• 2 Add 10 g chopped flat-leaf parsley, 30 g Grana Padano, 0.5 g freshly grated nutmeg, 6 g fine salt and 1 g black pepper.
• 3 Add the cooled onion and speck with their fat.
• 4 Sprinkle over the 30 g flour for binding.
• 5 With your palm, turn the mixture up from the bottom and lightly crush the bread pieces, combining only 20–30 times. Do not knead or squeeze firmly.

Rest the dough

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 20-minute rest.) Put 3000 ml water and 30 g coarse salt in another deep pot at least 24 cm in diameter. Heat over medium heat to 85–90°C, when the surface barely trembles without bubbles, and maintain this heat.
• 2 Meanwhile(During the 20-minute rest.) Cut 5 g chives into small rings, place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.
• 3 Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Check the dough with a test dumpling

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 15-minute test cooking.) Check the broth heat and maintain 88–92°C.
• 2 Take 110 g rested mixture and gently roll between damp palms for 15–20 seconds into a ball 6 cm in diameter. Keep the remaining mixture covered with plastic wrap.
• 3 Gently lower the test dumpling into salted water maintained at 85–90°C and cook for 15 minutes without boiling.
• 4 After 15 minutes, lift it out with a slotted ladle, set it on a plate and cut in half to inspect the center.
• 5 If the surface cracked or the shape fell apart in the water, sprinkle flour onto the remaining mixture in 5 g additions, up to 20 g total, and combine with only 10 turns from the bottom.

Strain, defat and season the broth

• 1 After the broth has simmered for 3 hours, lift out the beef and aromatic vegetables with tongs.
• 2 Strain the pot’s contents into another pot through a fine chinois or a colander lined with damp muslin. Let it drain naturally without pressing.
• 3 Use the bottom of a ladle to skim thin layers of surface fat, then briefly touch paper towels to the liquid for 1–2 seconds to absorb the remaining film.
• 4 Measure the liquid: if under 1800 ml, top up with boiling water; if over, reduce over medium heat to 1800 ml.
• 5 Dissolve 12 g coarse salt, taste to check the saltiness and hold at 85°C over low heat.

Shape and poach the remaining dumplings

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 15-minute cooking time.) Warm 4 deep plates in an oven at 60°C for 5 minutes.
• 2 Meanwhile(During the 15-minute cooking time.) Keep the 1800 ml broth at 85°C.
• 3 Spread 10 g dusting flour over a tray.
• 4 Weigh the remaining mixture into 7 equal portions, approximately 110 g each.
• 5 With damp palms, roll each gently without pressing for 15–20 seconds to make a ball 6 cm in diameter. Coat lightly with flour and space apart on the tray.
• 6 Keep the salted water at 85–90°C. Use a ladle to lower the 7 dumplings gently, 1 at a time, and cook for 15 minutes without boiling.
• 7 When the dumplings float, gently roll them over with the back of the ladle.

Plate and serve

• 1 Using a slotted ladle, put 2 dumplings in each of the 4 warmed deep plates, draining lightly.
• 2 Gently pour the 85°C broth down the side of each plate, 400 ml per serving (1600 ml for 4), until the shoulders of the dumplings remain above the liquid.
• 3 Divide the 5 g chopped chives evenly among the 4 plates and serve immediately.
• 4 Bring the remaining 200 ml broth to the table in its small saucepan for topping up.