Cooking Recipe by Chef Michael Ploner: “Tiroler Paunzen” with Apple Sauce

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside – Paunzen are traditionally served with apple sauce.

How to describe Paunzen? They look a bit like Italian gnocci and have been a firm favourite in Tirolean families for centuries, not least thanks to the fact that they are both delicious and filling at once. Top local chef Michael Ploner has been kind enough to share with us this recipe handed down to him by his grandfather.

Paunzen can be eaten as a sweet or savoury meal, and even as a side dish. Crispy on the outside and wonderfully soft on the inside, they release an aroma unlike any other. Scroll down for step-by-step instructions on how to make them.

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Ingredients

Apple sauce:

• 3-4 apples, cored and peeled (use apples varieties that are good for cooking such as Jazz, Granny Smith, or Boskoop)
• Rapeseed oil
• Clarified butter

“Paunzen”:

• 500 g mealy potatoes
• Salt
• 150 g flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Rapeseed oil
• Clarified butter

Instructions

Apple sauce

Finely slice the apples and fry them gently in clarified butter and rapeseed oil for some 30 to 45 minutes. You don’t need to add any sugar. Fry apples until tender, stirring occasionally. Place in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth (about 4 minutes).

“Paunzen”:

Place potatoes on a layer of salt and bake at 150°C for about 20 minutes until soft. Peel the potatoes and push through a potato press into a bowl (the potatoes must still be warm).

Peel the potatoes...

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until browned. Add flour, salt, one egg yolk and melted butter to the potatoes and mix well to form a soft dough using your hands. Place on a flour-covered worktop and roll out to a sausage shape. Cut into small, equal pieces and sprinkle with flour. Form “Paunzen”, place them on a tray and put into the freezer for 20 minutes.

Once cooled, place the “Paunzen” in a frying pan with hot clarified butter and rapeseed oil and fry on all sides until golden brown. Let the excess oil drain away on a piece of kitchen roll, season with salt and serve with apple sauce. Enjoy!