Wash the roast and generously rub with salt add pepper and caraway seed.
Preheat oil in cast iron pan on high.
Chop onion and sate till golden brown. Stir with wooden spoon. Scrape onion to the side and add roast.
Brown the roast from all sides. It will create a nice crust that will protect the meat from drying out. When the onion starts catching to the bottom add slowly water and scrape from bottom. This will make delicious drippings.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F, cover the pan with a lid, and bake in the oven for 2 hours. Turn meat with a wooden spoon every ½ hour. After 2 hours remove the lid and raise the temperature to 400˚ F and bake for another 40 minutes.
When the roast is done remove from the pot unto a plate and cover with foil.
You can add additional flavor to the roast by placing some of the dripping directly on the meat and dumplings before serving the meal, or make from the drippings extended sauce.
Place the pot back on the stove, and add 1 cup water to the drippings. Scrape the sides of the pot into the drippings. To make drippings more like a gravy texture, and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed in 1/4 cup of water and stir into the drippings. Let cook for 3 minutes, than drizzle over the dish
Heat milk in a small bowl in a microwave . The temperature needs to be comfortable to the touch . Add sugar, dissolve and sprinkle yeast on top. Stir yeast in the milk and let rest.
Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or dough mixer, along with the yeast mixture. Mix well. If the dough is too sticky add more flour.
Place dough in a bowl (coat it with nonstick spray). Cover the dough, and let rest for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Dumplings are filled with fruit of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, apricots, plums, blackberries or even bananas). Fresh fruit is always better, but you may also use frozen.Wash fresh fruit in a strainer and let dry on a paper towel.
When the dough rested long enough, place it on a clean, flat surface.
Shape the dough with a kneading motion into a smooth ball. Roll the ball into a long thick coil, and cut 1 inch thick slices with a knife. Shape each piece into a ball and then flatten them up.
Place the dough into your palm and position the fruit in the middle.
Wrap the edges of the dough around the fruit, and pinch tightly together, till no fruit is showing, and the dough is tightly sealed. Repeat with each piece.
Set the finished dumplings sealed side down on a floured surface to rest for 15-20 minutes. Cover with cloth.
To cook the dumplings, you are going to need a large pot with lid, filled half way up with water. Bring it to rolling boil. Place the dumplings one by one into the pot and stir with wooden spoon. The dumplings will get twice as big so don’t put too many of them in.
Cover with a lid and return to full boil. Turn down the heat to medium high and place wooden spoon between the lid and the pot for the steam to escape.
Boil for 4 minutes, uncover the lid, and with a wooden spoon turn each dumpling over ( tops will be on the bottom). Place lid back on, and continue boiling for four more minutes.
When the dumplings are ready to be taken out, you have to work quickly. Prepare large bowl, curved spatula, and two forks, right next to your pot.
Take one dumpling at a time out, and quickly place forks opposite from each other on the top of a dumpling and make a little rip in the dumpling for the steam to escape. If the steam is not let out, the dumpling will lose its fluffiness. Speed is very important here. Serve hot.
To serve the dumpling, place desired amount of dumplings on a plate sprinkle with powder sugar, favorite yogurt or home made Tvaroh (Czech sour cheese) and drizzle with melted butter.
Svíčková is considered to be one of the most favorite Czech dishes. This beautifully balanced ,creamy sauce well compliments the roast and dumplings. The acidity from lemon juice and additional spoon full of cranberry sauce, brings it all together. It could be a little bit time-consuming but sure worth the effort.
Svíčková is considered to be one of the most favorite Czech dishes. This beautifully balanced ,creamy sauce well compliments the roast and dumplings. The acidity from lemon juice and additional spoon full of cranberry sauce, brings it all together. It could be a little bit time-consuming but sure worth the effort.
Peel the carrots and parsnips. Cut the brown skin off of the celeriac (celery root). Chop the vegetables in a food processor. Chop the onion.
Slice the bacon into thin 1 inch thick pieces.
Wash the roast, and with a skinny knife cut deep openings into the meat. Stuff the bacon pieces into the openings.
Rub the roast with salt and pepper. Preheat oil in a large roasting pan. Brown the roast all sides.
Remove the roast onto a plate , and cover with foil. Make sure not to puncture the meat.
Into the same pan add carrots, parsnip, celeriac, bay leafs, allspice, and 1/2 cup of water. Stir well. Turn the heat to medium, cover with lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add chopped onion and 1 1/2 more cups of water. Cook for 5 more minutes.
Place the roast back into the pan with vegetables. Cover the roast with the vegetables to prevent the roast from drying out.
Preheat the oven to 325 ˚F. Cover the pan with lid, and place it in the oven. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn the meat over every half an hour. Place the vegetables back on the roast every time .
When the meat is tender, remove from oven and place the pot back on the stove. place the meat onto a plate and cover with a foil. Remove the Bay leafs and discard.
Set up your blender. Spoon out all the contents (or half at a time) from the pan into the blender and blend for 30 seconds.
Pour the vegetable purée back into the pan, add heavy cream, milk, and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and while stirring, cook for 5 minutes. To draw out the flavors add a few drops of lemon juice.
Recipe Notes
This dish is served with Bread dumplings, and a spoon full of cranberry sauce.
If you are not able to find Celeriac (Celery root), just increase the amount of carrots and parsnip to 3 cups each.
