Liver Dumplings

For soup.

Here’s a version from “Aunt Babette’s” Cook Book from around 1889:

Leberknadel (Calf Liver Dumplings).

Chop and pass through a colander one-half pound of calf’s liver; rub to a cream four ounces of marrow, add the liver and stir hard. Then add a little thyme, one clove of garlic grated, pepper, salt and a little grated lemon peel, the yolks of two eggs and one whole egg. Then add enough grated bread crumbs or rolled crackers to this mixture to permit its being formed into little marbles.

From a notebook originally from somewhere in the general area of Sterling, Colorado from the 1930s.

This recipe is from the 29th page of the notebook; here’s the page in full (click to enlarge).

Click to expand a longer explanation...

In the words of the seller:
I acquired this book from the great granddaughter of the woman who wrote this book back in a small Nebraska town in the 30’s. She belonged to that generation of rural housewives who worked tirelessly to make ends meet and “keep body and soul together” for their families working the farms.

Later addendum:

[A]fter a conversation I had with a friend’s sister who used to live in North Eastern Colorado, given the type of recipes listed we decided it might be from a small town there, i.e., Sterling or Fort Morgan. Also North Platte or Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Even Cheyenne, Wyoming. If you Google a map of Sterling, Colorado and pull back, you will see all these little towns in that tri-state area.

Liver Dumplings

1 lb. beef liver
5 slices bread, crumbed
1 onion, minced
2 eggs
1 c. flour
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper

Simmer the liver in water 30 minutes. Grind fine.

Fry onion and butter. Add bread crumbs.

Mix the egg and liver thoroughly and season. Add onion and bread crumbs. Work into this paste enough flour to make stiff batter.

Drop from tablespoon into boiling soup or meat broth; cook 30 minutes.

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