February 10, 2014
Author: Vicky Pearl
My grandmother, who lives in Brooklyn not far from my own home, is well-known for her cooking and baking prowess. Her jelly cookies are the arbiter by which all other cookies made or consumed by my family are measured. But if you ask me, it is her kreplach that stand out. They are truly the gold standard. I can’t tell you how lucky my family and I feel when she serves them up to us on special occasions such as Purim, Erev Yom Kippur, and Hashano Rabba.
So I was a little hesitant when I set out to make these wonderful gems in my gluten-free kitchen. Would I be able to capture the soft in the mouth, not too heavy in texture pillows without all-purpose flour? I can tell you I was a little more than surprised when, after my first try (which, in all honesty have to admit is not always the case), actually achieved the consistency I wanted to reproduce. At first glance I thought I had failed. The kreplach seemed a bit thicker than I would have hoped. However, once they had a leisurely soak in the soup as it rewarmed, they were the perfect texture and I felt I had a winner. I can’t tell you how happy I was – not only because I had reproduced my grandmother’s recipe and could enjoy it without any wheat, but also because I had truly done justice to the original. It wasn’t just my word either. I offered some to my family and friends who eat wheat. As I stood in anticipation, they heartily enjoyed the soup and announced, to my pleasure, that it was the best kreplach they had ever had. I felt I had just won first prize in some national contest!!
So it is with great pleasure that I share with you this recipe for kreplach, made with brown rice flour, tapioca flour and potato starch.
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
½ cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 large eggs
½ cup water
½ cup oil
pinch of kosher salt
Filling:
5 chicken patties, mashed
Preparation:
1. In a mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together dough ingredients until well combined.
2. Roll dough between two well-floured pieces of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut
into 3×3-inch squares.
3. Place 1 heaping tsp of filling onto each square. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle.
Press edges with the tines of a fork to seal.
4. Fill an 8-quart pot to a little bit more than ¾ full with water; bring to a boil over high heat.
Add 1/8 tsp salt.
5. One at a time, add kreplach to boiling water. Return to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-
low. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
6. Without letting kreplach fall out, pour out hot water from pot. Refill with cold water, making
sure that the water completely covers all the kreplach. Allow kreplach to cool in water. Remove
using a slotted spoon.
7. Add to soup, heat thoroughly, and enjoy.
These freeze very well for up to 6 months. Chill before freezing and thaw in refrigerator.
Yield: 18 to 20 kreplach.
Note: Brown rice flour works best for this recipe. It gives it a fine consistency, and will not taste
grainy as it is being cooked.
Sidebar: Doughs made with gluten-free flours tend to be a touch more sensitive than regular wheat-flour doughs. It’s important to get to know the brands of flour that you work with. Sometimes you will need to add a bit more liquid, sometimes less. If your dough is a bit sticky, flour your parchment paper with a dusting of sweet rice flour. For kreplach, it doesn’t matter if the dough has a little bit of extra flour on top or inside of it. The dough should be pliable without being dry.
This recipe comes from Gluten Free Goes Gourmet.