Czech potato dumplings stuffed with smoked meat, with cabbage (Plněné bramborové knedlíky)

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender, peel and mash while still warm; let cool completely (cold potatoes give the dough the right texture).

2. For the filling, cut the smoked pork into small dice. Finely chop one onion and fry with the meat in a dry pan for 5 minutes, then let cool.

3. Knead the cooled potatoes quickly with the flour, egg and salt until just combined (overworking makes it sticky). Divide into 12 pieces, flatten each into a palm-sized disc, put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle and shape into a dumpling; seal the edges well.

4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil, lower in the dumplings and, once they float, simmer for another 8-10 minutes; lift out with a slotted spoon.

5. Meanwhile, for the cabbage, finely chop the other onion, sweat it in the lard until translucent, add the squeezed sauerkraut, caraway and 100 ml of water and braise covered for 20 minutes; season with sugar.

6. Serve the dumplings with the braised cabbage, drizzled with fried onions if you like.

Tip: This is a thrifty masterpiece of Czech country cooking: made from smoked leftovers after the pig-killing, the potato-and-meat dumpling is a close relative of the Hungarian crackling dumpling; cold potatoes and minimal kneading make it truly soft.