Stubai Magazin

Alois Hammer
„Wie die Hände, so die Knödel.“
„Like the hands, so the dumplings.“
Gleinserhof
Bilanz: Knödeldurchmesser 86 mm,
Konsistenz **, Würze ***, Ambiente ***
Result: dumpling diameter 86 mm,
consistency**, flavour ***, ambience ***
Hotel Jagdhof (1,000 m)
Although it can be said that it tastes best by Mama,
the things in common between Sonja Mayerhofer and
Thomas Strasser, the 30 year-old chef at the Jagdhof
luxury hotel in Neustift, already end with this fact! The
differences start with the quantities and extend to the
small, fine details. Thomas Strasser needs about one
hour for ten good bacon dumplings. He sautés one finely
chopped onion in 40 grams of butter; 0.1 litre of
warm milk and three eggs are added later. At the same
time, he slices 300 grams of streaky bacon into cubes
and sautés it in some oil. All of this, plus 30 grams of
chopped, fresh parsley, is poured over six dry bread
rolls cut into dumpling bread, kneaded into dough and
then has to rest for half an hour. Now Thomas Strasser
becomes delicate: he takes a small ball from the dough
mass with an ice-cream scoop and plumps it down
into boiling water. After two minutes he reduces the
temperature and waits. Ten minutes pass before the
„test dumpling“ is finished. Only then will the other
dumplings be prepared!
Gleinserhof (1,420 m)
If Maria Hammer is to be believed, quite a few Stubai
Valley residents are after her bacon dumplings. At least
after her recipe: „People repeatedly ask how we make
them“, says the innkeeper of the alpine guesthouse
situated high above Schönberg, as she looks rather
proudly down into the valley. Her written recipe differs
from that of the Jagdhof only in nuances, until her 53
year-old husband Alois, steeled through the hard work
in the stable and on the alpine meadows, digs into the
dough with his colossal hands. „Like the hands, so the
dumplings“, says Alois Hammer, and shapes a huge
clump into a gigantic dumpling — the largest bacon
dumpling in the entire valley! Perhaps that is the secret
of the bacon dumplings from Gleinserhof. Of course,
nothing may be spared when it comes to the quality
of ingredients. „Milk from the alpine pasture, enough
eggs and no flour“, warns Maria Hammer, „otherwise
the dumpling becomes a wild projectile“. But in the end
Anneliese Ram
„Beim Knödelmachen kann viel
schief gehen.“
„Many things can go wrong when
making dumplings.“
Gasthof Kirchbrücke
Bilanz: Knödeldurchmesser 57 mm,
Konsistenz *, Würze **, Ambiente **
Result: dumpling diameter 57 mm,
consistency*, flavour **, ambience **
it sits fluffily and spicy in a good soup as well as in the
stomach. And if it were not for the in-house spinach
and cheese dumplings, the bacon dumpling turnover
of 500 per month would even be much greater.
Gasthof Kirchbrücke (900 m)
„But this is a meal for huts and alpine pastures“,
protests Anneliese Ram, adding, „a dumpling is hardly
ever asked for.“ But then the 76 year-old gladly sits
down below her kitchen, directly alongside the quite
calm Ruetzbach stream, shortly before it flows into the
Sill River. It is a cosy little spot under broad-leaf trees,
and naturally a place where people more likely think
of trout. Bacon dumplings are available only on request
and by order. It soon turns out that this is a mistake,
because Anneliese Ram still masters the recipe for the
Tyrolean national dish. „Perhaps people laugh“, she
says, „but there are great differences when it comes to
dumplings“. And she means that quite a few things can
go wrong if something goes awry. Anneliese is happy
when a guest is interested in bacon dumplings.
Restaurant Schaufelspitz (2,900 m)
Whoever expects a cold buffet for skiers in ski boots
will be disappointed up here in the middle of the Stubai
glacial world. Instead, you‘ll find a gourmet temple as
well as a chef who has earned two Gault Millau toques
at his former domain. And this chef has also rediscovered
the bacon dumpling. With David Kostner, 30
years old, the bacon is not in the dumpling, but chopped
and roasted in the very finest tiny cubes, more or
less as a coating around the dumpling. The chef even
ventures adding some fresh garlic as a bonus. Despite
his toques, he never renounced the bacon dumpling.
On the contrary: „This is the badge of honour for a
Tyrolean chef. Whoever cannot make this can quit, because
the entire valley will know that on the next day.“
Kostner can sleep calmly. His tiny dumplings on a bed
of creamed sauerkraut, leek and potatoes with chive
pesto are simply the peak of perfection! "
David Kostner
„Ein guter Speckknödel ist der Ausweis
eines Tiroler Kochs.“
„A good bacon dumpling is the badge
of honour for a Tyrolean chef.“
Restaurant Schaufelspitz
Bilanz: Knödeldurchmesser 48 mm,
Konsistenz ***, Würze ***, Ambiente ***
Result: dumpling diameter 48 mm,
consistency***, flavour ***, ambience ***
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