Gombóc

Use 800 g cooked starchy potatoes, cooled and riced; 250-300 g all-purpose flour; 1 egg and the listed remaining ingredients. Mix potatoes, egg, salt and 250 g flour gently, adding more only if needed. Divide into 16. Use smooth, cooled potato mash without added liquid. Fold only until the dough holds together; too much extra flour or kneading gives a tough shell.

Mix sugar and cinnamon and put a little inside each plum. Wrap each in a flattened dough portion and seal. Stone plums without pulling the halves apart. Divide the cinnamon sugar evenly and close each fruit before wrapping in an even dough layer. Pinch all edges closed and smooth cracks.

Simmer gently 12-15 minutes until dough is cooked through; drain. Use a wide pot and lower dumplings individually. Maintain a quiet simmer and test a shell for tenderness through to the fruit; floating alone is not the whole test.

Coating: 60 g butter; 120 g breadcrumbs. Toast breadcrumbs in butter and roll dumplings in the crumbs. Stir crumbs over moderate heat until golden, not dark. Turn the drained dumplings gently in the crumbs. Let hot plum juice cool slightly before eating.