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Dumplings of Fish Forcemeat

Erken's basic method from Stor kokebok (1914) for shaping fish dumplings with two dessert spoons (or by cutting them out from an upturned plate) and poaching them slowly in boiling fish stock or salted water for 3–7 minutes, for use in soup or sauce.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 126 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

This passage appears in the chapter on "Dishes of poached fish" and is Erken's fundamental working description of how to shape and cook fish dumplings from ready-made fish forcemeat. The method is the starting point for the recipes that follow for fish dumplings in lobster sauce, crayfish sauce, shrimp sauce, and sharp sauce.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Prepare the pan

    Brush a wide, flat-bottomed pot or sauté pan with melted butter. Set the pan slightly to your right, and place the dish of forcemeat and a cup of warm water on your left.

  2. 2

    Shape the dumplings with a spoon

    Use two dessert spoons and leave one of them standing in the cup of warm water. Hold the other spoon in your left hand and fill it with forcemeat. Smooth the surface of the forcemeat with the spoon from the warm water, then scoop out dumplings with the moistened spoon – either the whole spoonful or smaller dumplings.

  3. 3

    Place the dumplings in the pan

    Transfer the dumplings to the pan or pot in which they will be cooked. Because the spoon is both moist and warm, it releases the dumplings easily.

  4. 4

    Alternative shaping on a plate

    The forcemeat can also be placed on an upturned plate and smoothed out, and the dumplings cut out in the desired size. As you go, place them on a dish moistened with warm fish stock. When cooking, dip the dish under the stock in the pot so the dumplings slide off without losing their shape.

  5. 5

    Cook the dumplings

    Set the pan over the heat and pour over enough boiling fish stock or boiling salted water to cover the dumplings well. Let the dumplings poach very slowly: teaspoon-sized dumplings in 3 minutes, larger dumplings 5–7 minutes. Stroke over the dumplings with a slotted spoon during cooking so they turn in the stock.

  6. 6

    Serving and storage

    When the dumplings have risen and are firm – after about 5 minutes – pour off the water. If they are to be used right away, place them directly in the prepared sauce or soup; otherwise, arrange them on a dish and strain the stock over them.

Changes from the original

The method has been divided into numbered steps and written in modern Norwegian. Measurements are kept as in the original (no fixed quantities are given for the forcemeat); "sautépande" is rendered as sauté pan and "fat" as dish/plate. Cooking times and temperature specifications are unchanged.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between dumplings shaped with a spoon and by hand?
When you shape the dumplings with a spoon, the forcemeat can be a little looser than when you shape them by hand. For spoon-shaping you use two dessert spoons, one of which is kept in a cup of warm water and used to smooth and scoop out the dumplings.
What are the fish dumplings cooked in?
In boiling fish stock or boiling salted water. The dumplings are placed in a flat-bottomed, wide pot or sauté pan that has first been brushed with melted butter.
How long does the recipe take, and how many does it serve?
About 40 minutes in total, and the recipe is intended for 4 servings.
Where does the recipe come from?
From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" of 1914, page 126.

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