Neal’s Kreplach
Andrea Potischman
Mar 27, 2017
My husband is not a cook. He will, however, if asked, make a dish or meal without hesitation and often rather enthusiastically. He will often return from a trip to the grocery store with a vast assortment of condiments and pickled products and, if we are lucky, the complete ingredients for whatever recipe he decides to tackle that day.
My husband is an attorney, he is not easily intimidated, thus time-consuming recipes or endless lists of ingredients are not a concern. He embraces a challenge and is fairly patient. However, he may need to work a bit on his timing (the art of getting more than one dish on the table at once), but his overall effort and determination are impressive, especially for a non-cook. The result of all this can be fantastic, like his kreplach.
Neal’s kreplach is not traditional kreplach, but he’s Jewish, more a modern take of the well-known favorite. He did not grow up eating this and his recipe is not exactly healthy. But it is tasty. Our boys love his kreplach, and I am a big fan as well. Making this recipe fully from scratch takes a bit of commitment, but the use of store-bought wonton wrappers reduces the time substantially. You can also assemble these in advance, refrigerate them, and cook them later–which is often what I do.
Traditionally, kreplach is a type of small Jewish dumpling filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes, or another filling. They are typically boiled and served in chicken soup, though they can also be fried. There are various ideas about the meaning of the word “kreplach.”
Some believe the name comes from the initials of three Jewish festivals: “K” for Kippur, “R” for Rabbi, and “P” for Purim, which together form the word Krep. “Lach” comes from Yiddish, meaning “little”. Another suggestion is that the word comes from the German word “Krepp”, meaning “crepe”. Kreplach also carries a considerable amount of symbolism; its triangular shape is said to represent Judaism’s three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Historically, kreplach is served during several Jewish holidays: (1) Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; (2) at the pre-fast meal before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; and (3) on Purim, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jews being saved from Haman, who was planning to kill them.
A variety with a sweet cheese filling is sometimes served on Shavuot, a holiday that marks the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Fried kreplach (similar to what my husband makes) is popular on Chanukah (or Hanukkah as some say) commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, because the kreplach is fried in oil, which references the oil in the miracle of Chanukah.
History aside, my husband’s kreplach is delicious mainly for its simplicity. There is a fried outer wrapper and a simple seasoned meat filling. My family eats them as is. Depending on the filling, I have seen some top kreplach with sour cream or applesauce. But truthfully, nothing else is needed.
Neal's Kreplach
Ingredients:
- 1 pound organic ground beef (I prefer grass-fed)
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 bunch parsley, cleaned and finely chopped
- One (12-ounce) package of wonton wrappers
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 egg, whole
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to season after cooking
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 1 egg lightly beaten, for egg wash
Directions:
- Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the onion and sauté till tender and beginning to brown. Place the cooked onions in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place the sauté pan back on the heat and add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the ground meat and brown, stirring occasionally. Using a small strainer, strain the cooked meat and add to the onions. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- Once the meat is cool, add the egg, chopped parsley, and salt. Mix well to blend and set aside. Set up your workstation. Make your egg wash. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease so the kreplach won't stick.
- Working with a few at a time, place the wonton wrappers on the cutting board. Using a pastry brush, outline all edges of the wonton wrapper with egg wash. Place about 1 tablespoon of the ground meat mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper into a triangle. Gently pick up the kreplach holding the point of the triangle upward, and using your fingers, gently press the sides of the wonton firmly together to create a seal around the filling. This will take patience to do well. Add as much egg wash as needed to seal the kreplach completely.
- Place the kreplachs on the prepared sheet tray and repeat until all the filling has been used. The kreplach can be stored at this point and cooked later if desired, just wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate so they don't dry out.
- To cook the kreplach, place a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add one kreplach to test. If it starts to sizzle a bit around the edges, go ahead and add a few more. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or they will stick together. Watch closely. Rotate the kreplach and turn it over during the cooking process. Depending on how hot your oil is, cook the kreplach for approximately 3-4 minutes per side.
- When the kreplach is evenly golden brown, carefully remove it from the pan and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Lightly salt the cooked kreplach. Repeat the above until all kreplach is cooked. Kreplach is best served warm. You can heat in a 300-degree F oven for about 5 minutes right before serving if needed.
Never meat kreplach with sour cream, butter or any dairy! Certainly not in a kosher kitchen. My grandmother also would take the leftover boiled kreplach and saute them in Nyafat or chicken fat, and serve sprinkled with cinnamon sugar! I have never found any other reference to this style. She was from Wysokie Mazowieckie, halfway between Warsaw and Bialystok.
Thanks for your note Ken. Kreplach is an interesting thing, so many different recipes and ways to make it. And you are correct, not a kosher kitchen. This is a recipe my husband came up with, but he does not ever eat it with sour cream.
Thanks so, so much for your husband’s Fried Kreplach recipe. My grandmother made these using a crepe like exterior. Every recipe I’ve seen has used a dough that requires kneading and ends up much thicker and bread-ilike than my memories from my grandmother’s cooking. I would love more about your husband’s memories of these delicacies and information about where the recipe originated. Where were his grandparents from?
I am planning to make these tomorrow and I know I speak for my entire family when I say “thank you!”
Sincerely, Robin Weintraub
Hi Robin. Thanks so much for your comment. For my husband, this is one of those recipes that skipped a generation. My husband did not grow up eating a family recipe for kreplach, but mainly had it with friends. This was a recipe he and I developed together and it took off as a favorite with our boys. I have made the dough myself and never like the outcome, so I stick with the wonton wrappers. I just developed a similar chicken kreplach in golden broth, so a non-fried version soup kreplach, also using the same wonton wrappers. Look for that on my blog soon, I just finalized the recipe this week. I hope you make this friend kreplach recipe and enjoy it as much as my family does. While it is not health food, it is delish. Be well and stay safe. Andrea