. Wash 1/5 of the potatoes and put them to boil in their skins. 2. Peel a small onion and cut it into small cubes. 3. Wash the parsley, dry it with a towel, and chop it if you are using it. Set aside a small portion of the parsley for garnish. 4. In a bowl, mix the ground meat, chopped onion, and parsley. Add cold water or broth, ground black pepper, salt, and marjoram. Mix everything thoroughly. Place the meat mixture in the refrigerator. 5. Wash the remaining 2 kg of potatoes, peel them, rinse with cold water, and grate on a fine grater. Add lemon juice so the potatoes do not darken. 6. Place a colander with a fine sieve over a large bowl. Put the grated potatoes into the colander. Using a spoon, lightly press the grated potatoes to drain some of the liquid (do not press too hard). Then transfer the grated potatoes to cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid well. 7. Transfer the squeezed grated potatoes into a bowl where the dough will be prepared. 8. Carefully pour off the liquid from the bowl; potato starch will remain at the bottom. Add this starch back into the grated potatoes. 9. Peel the boiled potatoes and press them through a sieve into the grated potato mixture with starch. Add salt and mix everything well. 10. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. 11. Take a portion of the potato mixture and flatten it in your hand to make a small patty. Place some of the meat filling on top. Close the potato mixture around the filling so the meat is completely inside, and shape it with both hands into an elongated shape like an airship (zeppelin). Place it on the baking sheet. Form the rest of the cepelinai the same way. (From this amount, I usually get 10–11 pieces.) 12. Some of the cepelinai can be frozen. 13. Pour water into a pot so that the cepelinai can float freely. Add salt and a couple of spoons of starch (the exact amount depends on the size of the pot). Stir well and bring the water to a boil. Place the cepelinai into the boiling water, leaving space so they can move. At first they will sink to the bottom, then start floating up. After they float, cook them for 25 minutes. 14. SAUCE. Finely chop the pork fat (or bacon) and onion. 15. Fry the bacon, then add the onion. Cook until golden. Add sour cream, spices, and salt (optional, since bacon is already salty). Mix well and heat until almost boiling, but do not let it boil. The sauce is ready. 15. Serve the cepelinai with the sauce, or simply with sour cream, and sprinkle with herbs if desired. FILLING AND SAUCE IDEAS: - Pork and beef filling — Bacon and onion sour cream sauce (classic combination) - Chicken filling — Creamy mushroom sauce - Turkey filling — Caramelized onion and sour cream sauce - Farmer cheese or ricotta filling — Melted butter with herbs - Mushroom filling — Mushroom cream sauce - Cabbage and mushroom filling — Caramelized onion sauce - Spinach and cheese filling — Garlic sour cream sauce - Salmon filling (fresh or lightly smoked) — Dill sour cream sauce - White fish (cod, pollock, or haddock) — Butter and parsley sauce - Smoked trout — Horseradish sour cream sauce - Tuna filling (mixed with onion and pepper) — Lemon sour cream sauce - Salmon and cream cheese — Light dill cream sauce TIP: Fish fillings are usually best when the fish is finely chopped or lightly cooked first, then mixed with onion, herbs, salt, and pepper. This keeps the filling firm and prevents the dumplings from becoming watery while cooking.

   . Wash 1/5 of the potatoes and put them to boil in their skins. 2. Peel a small onion and cut it into small cubes. 3. Wash the parsley, dry it with a towel, and chop it if you are using it. Set aside a small portion of the parsley for garnish. 4. In a bowl, mix the ground meat, chopped onion, and parsley. Add cold water or broth, ground black pepper, salt, and marjoram. Mix everything thoroughly. Place the meat mixture in the refrigerator. 5. Wash the remaining 2 kg of potatoes, peel them, rinse with cold water, and grate on a fine grater. Add lemon juice so the potatoes do not darken. 6. Place a colander with a fine sieve over a large bowl. Put the grated potatoes into the colander. Using a spoon, lightly press the grated potatoes to drain some of the liquid (do not press too hard). Then transfer the grated potatoes to cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid well. 7. Transfer the squeezed grated potatoes into a bowl where the dough will be prepared. 8. Carefully pour off the liquid from the bowl; potato starch will remain at the bottom. Add this starch back into the grated potatoes. 9. Peel the boiled potatoes and press them through a sieve into the grated potato mixture with starch. Add salt and mix everything well. 10. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. 11. Take a portion of the potato mixture and flatten it in your hand to make a small patty. Place some of the meat filling on top. Close the potato mixture around the filling so the meat is completely inside, and shape it with both hands into an elongated shape like an airship (zeppelin). Place it on the baking sheet. Form the rest of the cepelinai the same way. (From this amount, I usually get 10–11 pieces.) 12. Some of the cepelinai can be frozen. 13. Pour water into a pot so that the cepelinai can float freely. Add salt and a couple of spoons of starch (the exact amount depends on the size of the pot). Stir well and bring the water to a boil. Place the cepelinai into the boiling water, leaving space so they can move. At first they will sink to the bottom, then start floating up. After they float, cook them for 25 minutes. 14. SAUCE. Finely chop the pork fat (or bacon) and onion. 15. Fry the bacon, then add the onion. Cook until golden. Add sour cream, spices, and salt (optional, since bacon is already salty). Mix well and heat until almost boiling, but do not let it boil. The sauce is ready. 15. Serve the cepelinai with the sauce, or simply with sour cream, and sprinkle with herbs if desired. FILLING AND SAUCE IDEAS: - Pork and beef filling — Bacon and onion sour cream sauce (classic combination) - Chicken filling — Creamy mushroom sauce - Turkey filling — Caramelized onion and sour cream sauce - Farmer cheese or ricotta filling — Melted butter with herbs - Mushroom filling — Mushroom cream sauce - Cabbage and mushroom filling — Caramelized onion sauce - Spinach and cheese filling — Garlic sour cream sauce - Salmon filling (fresh or lightly smoked) — Dill sour cream sauce - White fish (cod, pollock, or haddock) — Butter and parsley sauce - Smoked trout — Horseradish sour cream sauce - Tuna filling (mixed with onion and pepper) — Lemon sour cream sauce - Salmon and cream cheese — Light dill cream sauce TIP: Fish fillings are usually best when the fish is finely chopped or lightly cooked first, then mixed with onion, herbs, salt, and pepper. This keeps the filling firm and prevents the dumplings from becoming watery while cooking.