Gumpoldskirchner Speckknödel

This recipe hails from the 1850 Austrian cookery book by 'Marianka', the personal cook to Hans-Jörgel of Gumpoldskirchen, near Vienna. The cookbook’s lengthy title underscores its dual aim: to equip the home cook for both refined entertaining and economical, everyday Austrian and Bohemian fare. Published at a time when household management and thrift were paramount, this dish is a classic example of how humble ingredients—stale bread, cured pork, fresh herbs—could be transformed into hearty sustenance, even for 'middle-class families in expensive times.' Speckknödel, or bacon dumplings, were especially beloved in rural and small-town Austria, reflecting the region’s bacon-centric preservation methods and fondness for dumpling-based meals. Marianka’s variant is personally attested—there is a pride in her mastery, blending practical knowledge with the comforts and richness that characterize Austrian Hausmannskost.

The original preparation would have taken place in a well-appointed 19th-century household kitchen. Key tools included a sharp knife for dicing bread and bacon, a heavy frying pan or iron skillet for toasting the bacon (often over an open hearth), a large mixing bowl for combining ingredients, and sturdy wooden or metal spoons ('Kochlöffel')—notably used not only for stirring the dough but also for shaping and dropping the dumplings into the cooking liquid. Cooking was done in big cast-iron pots or copper soup kettles, suspended over fire or set on a wood-fired stove. Serving dishes would have included large, shallow earthenware or porcelain bowls, and a carving knife or fork for arranging smoked meats around the finished dumplings.