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Lisa Storch

Kreplach
S24E12 Jewish · 2020

Sedona chef profiled by Arizona Republic. Her restaurant is a Sedona institution.

Where to find them

Kreplach are Jewish dumplings that exist at the precise intersection of culinary obligation and culinary pleasure — you make them because your grandmother made them, and then you discover that your grandmother's technique was actually correct. Lisa Storch, whose Catch a Healthy Habit in Fairfield operates on an all-organic gluten-free philosophy, applied that same rigor to a dish that predates organic certification by several centuries.

Storch's kreplach dough is built for gluten-free flour blends, which don't develop the same network as wheat flour and require xanthan gum in precise proportion — 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour — to create the stretch that lets you roll thin without cracking. The filling is a braised beef composition that is cooled completely before filling, because warm filling steams the dough from the inside and produces a gummy seal. She seals with a water-only edge and presses with a fork, not a crimper, which creates more surface area for the seal to hold.

A Sedona institution cooking kreplach in Connecticut is already a story worth following. Bobby's version of the dish had no such story, and tasted like it.

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Kreplach

30 min Prep
25 min Cook
4 Serves
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 tbsp water, divided
  • 8 oz ground beef chuck
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil
  • 8 cups beef or chicken broth
  • Fleur de sel for finishing
Instructions
  1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center, crack egg into it, add 3 tbsp water, and whisk together with a fork. Gradually incorporate flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Add remaining 3 tbsp water 1 tbsp at a time until dough is silky but not sticky. Knead on a clean surface for 3 minutes until smooth, then wrap in plastic and rest 15 minutes.
  2. While dough rests, prepare filling: heat rendered chicken fat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté minced onion for 3 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook 45 seconds. Add ground beef, breaking it into fine pieces, cooking 4-5 minutes until no pink remains. Stir in ginger, pepper, and parsley. Season to taste and transfer to a bowl to cool completely.
  3. Roll dough between parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch squares using a sharp knife or pastry cutter. Place 1 tsp filling in the center of each square, fold diagonally to form a triangle, and press edges firmly with a fork to seal. Bring two opposite corners of the triangle together and pinch to seal, forming a hat shape.
  4. Bring broth to a gentle boil in a large pot. Working in batches to avoid crowding, carefully drop kreplach into boiling broth. Cook 4-5 minutes until they rise to the surface and continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a warm bowl.
  5. Ladle hot broth over kreplach, finish with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper, and serve immediately with a drizzle of rendered chicken fat and fresh dill if desired.
Inspired by Lisa Storch’s winning kreplach. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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