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1
Cut the sliced speck (or bacon or prosciutto) into strips about 1/3 inch wide; chop the strips crosswise to form little square bits of meat.
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2
Pour the olive oil into the smaller skillet, and set it over medium heat.
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3
Stir in the onion, and cook until it starts sizzling.
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4
Spoon a tablespoon or two of water into the pan (so the onions soften without coloring), and cook for 3 or 4 minutes more.
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5
Scatter in the chopped speck and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until it has rendered its fat.
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6
Scrape the onion and speck into a large bowl and let cool.
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7
Put the bread cubes in another bowl, and pour in the milk.
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8
Toss the cubes so theyre all drenched, then let them soak up the milk for about 10 minutes, until completely saturated.
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9
By handfuls, squeeze the bread, discarding the excess milk (or saving it for your cat!
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10
).
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11
Loosen the compressed bread, tearing it into shreds, and toss them into the bowl with the speck.
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12
Add the grated cheese, chives, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss everything together.
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13
Pour the beaten eggs over the bread mixture, and stir to blend.
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14
Finally, sprinkle on 1/2 cup flour and stir it in to form a moist, sticky dough.
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15
Pick up a bit and form it into a ball: if it is too soft to keep a shape, stir in more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
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16
Fill the wide pot with about 6 quarts water, and add 1 tablespoon salt; heat it to a boil.
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17
Melt the butter in the big skillet over very low heat; turn off the flame, but leave the skillet on the burner.
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18
Spread 1/2 cup flour on the tray or baking sheet.
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19
With floured hands, scoop up a small portion of dough (a scant 1/4 cup or so).
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20
Shape the dough into a 2-inch ball, tossing it from hand to hand and patting it lightly into a rounddont press or squeeze it too much.
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21
Lay it in the flour, and roll the ball to coat it all over.
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22
Set it on one side of the tray, and form round dumplings from the rest of the dough the same way.
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23
With the poaching water at a steady boil, drop in the dumplings, one at a time but quickly.
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24
Handle them gently and dont stir them.
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25
Bring the water back to a boil, then adjust it so it simmers steadily.
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26
Dont let it boil vigorously, which can break apart the canederli.
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27
Let the dumplings cook, without stirring, until all have risen to the surface of the water.
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28
Simmer them for a couple of minutes, then scoop one out and cut into it to check that the center is not wet and the dough looks uniformly cooked through.
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29
Meanwhile, have the big skillet with melted butter warming over very low heat.
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30
Lift the cooked dumplings with a spider, let drain over the pot for a few seconds, then gently drop them in the butter.
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31
Spoon butter over the canederli and serve them right awayon individual plates or a platter, family styletopped with grated cheese.
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32
If you are serving them as an accompaniment to braised or roasted meat, drizzle the pan juices over the canederli.
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33
You can also arrange the buttered canederli around the meat on a platter, letting them slowly absorb the juices or sauce.
