Döppekooche/Döbbekooche is a form of potato cake that was once only eaten by the poor particularly around St Martin's Day to take the place of the traditional goose, a more costly menu item. Nowadays it's a winter and Karneval specialty dish, onsisting of grated potatoes, finely minced onions, eggs and spices, covered in sausage pieces or strips of bacon. The resulting mix is then baked for about 2 hours until it forms a crust, considered to be the best part of the dish. Purists insist that the dish should not be stirred during baking in order to keep the crust intact, however, it is also acceptable to stir it so as to distribute the crust throughout the dish. Döppekooche has a variety of regional names such as Kulles in Holzfeld (Holzfelder Kulleslauf), Puttes, Dippekoochen, Kesselskooche, and Knüles (Bad Godesberg).
Region North Rhine Westphalia
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 bread roll
- 1 cup milk
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 2 large onions
- 1 apple
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon flour
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry gently in the oil to draw out the fat.
- Soak the bread in the milk. Peel and grate the onions, apple and potatoes and add to the bread and combine with the eggs and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Add more milk if needed and mix into a paste.
- Place half the bacon into the bottom of a casserole dish, the add the potato mixture. Pour the remaining bacon over the top. Back in a preheated oven 400 degree F for about 1-1/2 hours.
