Stuffed Peppers with Wuziknödel and Plenty of Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• For the peppers: 4 large, stable red or yellow bell peppers
• 500 g fresh chilled mixed beef and pork mince
• 1 day-old bread roll (about 50 g) and 100 ml milk
• 1 medium egg, 1 small onion and 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp mild paprika, ½ tsp dried marjoram
• For plenty of sauce: 1 small onion, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1,000 g passata and 300 ml mild vegetable stock
• 1 tsp oregano, a small pinch of salt; optional ½ tsp sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic
• For 8 dumplings: 1 kg floury potatoes, weighed unpeeled
• 150 g potato starch; an extra 20–40 g only if the dough is too soft
• 1 egg yolk, 20 g soft butter, ½ tsp salt; salt for the cooking water
• Optional: 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley to garnish

Method

1. Children: Wash hands, peppers and potatoes and weigh the ingredients. An adult prepares a wide lidded casserole, potato pan, wide dumpling pan, frying pan, potato ricer, sieve, bowls, slotted spoon and meat thermometer. Keep the mince refrigerated until needed.
2. Adults: Boil potatoes in their skins for about 25–30 minutes until soft; larger potatoes need longer. Drain, let them cool briefly, peel while warm and press through a ricer. Spread out for 10–15 minutes until lukewarm and steam has escaped. Do not use a blender, which makes them gluey.
3. Children: Tear the roll into pieces, pour over 100 ml milk and soak for 10 minutes. Adults: Finely dice both onions. Gently soften the filling onion in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes and cool. Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds and white membranes. Save the tops and leave the bases intact.
4. Adults: Lightly squeeze the soaked bread. Briefly mix it with mince, egg, cooled onion, ½ tsp salt, paprika and marjoram using a fork. Do not knead firmly or taste the raw filling. Clean hands, bowl and utensils after contact with raw meat.
5. Adults: Spoon the mixture evenly into the peppers without pressing it down or piling above the rims. Replace the tops. If small peppers leave filling spare, shape it into small meatballs to cook in the sauce.
6. Adults: In the wide casserole soften the second onion in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato purée for a minute. Add passata, stock and oregano, bring to a simmer and season mildly. Stand peppers upright in the sauce, which should reach halfway to two-thirds up them; add water if needed. Cover and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes.
7. Briefly mix the lukewarm potatoes with 150 g potato starch, egg yolk, butter and ½ tsp salt to make a soft dough. Do not shape the large dumplings yet. First take a small piece of dough for a test dumpling. Do not taste raw dough.
8. An adult heats salted water. Cook the small test dumpling for 8–10 minutes in gently simmering water, without vigorous bubbling. If it falls apart, mix 20 g potato starch into the remaining dough and test again. Add another 20 g if needed. Only then shape eight equal dumplings with slightly damp hands.
9. Adults: Carefully lower the eight dumplings into the gently simmering water, using two batches if needed. Poach for 20–25 minutes, without a rolling boil. They should be firm outside and cooked through; cut one to check. Lift out with a slotted spoon. Floating alone does not prove they are cooked.
10. Adults: The peppers should be soft. Check the filling centres of the thickest peppers with a meat thermometer: at least 70 °C for at least 2 minutes. Continue cooking if necessary and also check any extra meatballs. Briefly lift the pepper tops to measure. Thin sauce with water or reduce uncovered as needed.
11. Children: Set the table. Adults serve one pepper, two dumplings and plenty of sauce per portion. Cool a little before eating. Pepper tops are edible, stems are not. Cut small bites; dumpling pieces are delicious dipped in sauce.