LEBERKNODELSUPPE

Literally the 3 words mean Liver-Dumpling-Soup which is one of my all time favorites from my many trips to Germany. Even though it is a traditional dish of German, Austrian and Czech cuisine, it was after a serving in Bregenz Austria - the best ever - when I made the commitment to try my own version, and I did.

The dumpling is made from a 50-50 mix of calf's liver and top quality ground beef. I would use my hands to knead it like dough instead of blending to give it more structure like Beef Balls in Chiu-Chow noodles. The liver will keep the mixture moist, giving the finished product an out of this world flavor. Next comes sauteed onion, minced garlic, an egg, finely chopped fresh parsley, bread crumbs, shaved nutmeg, and seasoning to taste. To make sure it stays firm and consistent I leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours. The beef broth is a challenge as it is close to impossible to make your own at home. I need to plagiarize, using organic beef stock in a box and adding to it Oxo beef cubes to intensify the flavor. The magic is crushed black pepper, I mean lots of it, to achieve that uncompromising taste. It is like a noodle connoisseur who rules on how good a bowl is by taking the first sip of the broth. Early dementia might have set in since retirement - I forget names these days after remembering them to make a living for 25 years as a headhunter - but my palate never fails me. I remember how food, especially my favorites, are supposed to taste and Leberknodelsuppe is right up there in my memory chip.

The cooking part is easy. When the broth is on put the dumplings in, at high simmer, once they are ready they float to the top. More chopped parsley will garnish this beautiful comfort food, which is more like a meal than a soup. The missing link here will be the bread to go with it, there is simply no way Hong Kong can produce the same quality of crusty bread served in Europe.

This one is a breeze, you can make it to your own taste, and you will love it.