Monday, November 10, 2008

Dumplings Like Grandma Used to Make

The wild gander leads his flock through the cool night,Ya-honk! he says, and sounds it down to me like an invitation: The pert may suppose it meaningless, but I listen closer,I find its purpose and place up there toward the November sky. ~Walt Whitman

One of my readers had sent in this question, and it turned out to be a wonderful topic that many were interested in. Dumplings are one of my favorite foods, especially with turkey. I don't make them often because I eat too many of them!

My Grandmother used to make rolled out dumplings to go with her chicken. They were paper thin and so yummy. Unfortunately it was one of those recipes where she just
made a well in the flour and added the ingredients until it "felt right". Does anyone have a recipe for rolled out dumplings to go with chicken 'n dumplins? ~Beth


I can relate because my husband's great grandmother makes the rolled, strip type of dumplings and when I asked how to make them she didn't have a recipe either. Interestingly my mother-in-law makes the drop dumplings and some holidays we've had both kinds of dumplings with each cook watching to see who took which one:) I have
come up with 2 recipes for the strip dumplings. I suggest you try both and keep the one that you like the best!

Dumplings

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth and let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares or strips and drop one at time into simmering stock. Simmer for 20-30 minutes
until thick. Stir often.

Rolled Dumplings

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup milk or water
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut shortening into flour with a pastry cutter or fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. On a floured surface,roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 2 inch strips with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Gently drop dumplings into boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

READERS' TIDBITS
Here in my part of Ontario we have Chicken 'n' Sliders,similar to the dropped dumplings. There is no real 'recipe' because it was always done by feel. The general recipe is something like this: Boil your chicken on the stove until done then put it in the oven to crisp the skin while making the sliders. Bring the broth on the stove to boil and check the seasonings in it. Then in a medium size bowl start with one beaten egg and about a cup of the chicken broth (more if there are a lot of people). Then season it with whatever seasonings you like (usually just salt and pepper,but some may want to add other flavours). Add enough flour to make a slightly sticky dough. Place some of this on a floured surface and roll with a floured rolling pin to 1/4" or 1/8" thickness, depending on how you like it. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1" thick strips. By now the broth should be boiling so we take one strip in hand and just tear off pieces as you slide them into the boiling broth.Make sure to stir the pot every now and again so that the 'sliders' don't stick to the pan. Let them cook for about 5 or 10 minutes (we usually take one out and check it) and then serve in a bowl. I know there are actual measurements on some recipe boards, but we have always done it by feel,just like Grandma. ~ Chelsea

Here is a recipe for dumplings from Paula Deen's food show. ~Happy Thanksgiving, Sue

Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Ice water

Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about 3/4 cup of ice water. Knead the dough and form it into ball. Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm),working from center to 1/8-inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.

Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Repeat. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes. To serve, ladle chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm
bowls.

I roll out my dumplings and use the "it just feels right method" as previously described. The only difference in the recipes that I do, is to add egg, a pinch or two of baking powder, and a pinch of baking soda to add a little rise. I then roll out the dough, cut it, cover with a clean towel and let the dumplings "rise" a bit. After twenty minutes or so, I drop them into the hot broth. The baking soda, baking powder, and salt are the ingredients that give a little bit of yeast-like rise. All the recipes described by other readers for dumplings would work with this style. ~Jennifer

My mother in law would make up the dough for her buttermilk biscuits and then just roll it out and cut into strips and then drop them into the hot bubbling chicken broth. So, I'm saying that any buttermilk biscuit recipe would work for dumplings. Also one can buy the canned biscuits, plain ole regular kind and flatten each one out and then cut into strips or pinch off little balls and drop them into the hot broth, works just as well! ~Carol http://www.countrylanefolkart.com/

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7 comments:

  1. When I was a kid, my Mother use to roll out her dumplings. I don't know her recipe. Now, my Mother buys flour tortillas and cuts them in squares and drops them in the hot broth. Everyone loves them and it is so much faster and easier for her. I think I will try it myself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 03, 2009

    These all seem like very good recipes for what some call sliders. My mother (from Berlin, West Germany--not New Hampshire) made dumplings sometimes with yeast, but usually without. We judged them by how they floated or sank in the soup. My wife (from Kingston, Jamaica--not Ontario) just mixes flour and water and drops it in the stew pea--but that's another cuisine.

    I was looking for a recipe for "sliders" such as my high school friend's grandmother made. Time has clouded my memory, but as I do recall: --their family was French-Canadian from New York/New England, --"Sliders" meant chicken & dumplings made in the oven, or, at least, the oven was somehow involved, and, -- the sliders were "dumplings" that, and I'm sure my memory fails me here, were rolled or sliced and went into the pan or whatever that went into the oven, and somehow ended up as this magical dish "Sliders."

    Could anyone post a recipe for that? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. SLIDER ALERT FOR ANONYMOUS JUNE-3-2009September 28, 2010

    HERE IS YOUR SLIDER RECEIPE
    FROM MY GRANDMA TO YOU...ENJOY!!!

    Chicken and Sliders

    Posted: SPET. 28TH 2010


    Cooking Level: Intermediate

    Home Town: SeymourCity, StateWisconsin, CountryUSA

    Living In: MoundCity, StateMinnesota, CountryUSA
    | View All »left 1 of 3right Chicken and Sliders By: MICHELE
    "This recipe is an old French Canadian recipe which originated during the depression. It consists of tender pieces of chicken and homemade noodles swimming in a delicious gravy. A real rib sticker and a favorite with my family during the winter. Sounds harder than it is and it is absolutely delicious!"

    806 people have saved this | 0 custom versions

    Prep Time:
    30 MinCook Time:
    2 Hrs 30 MinReady In:
    3 Hrs
    Original Recipe Yield 6 servings
    Ingredients
    3 pounds whole chicken 2 onions, quartered 3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 bay leaves salt and pepper to taste 1 egg 4 cups all-purpose flour
    Directions
    Wash chicken and place in large pot. Cover with water and add chopped vegetables, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours or until meat comes away easily from the bone. Remove chicken from broth and strain liquid. Reserve the broth and discard all vegetables.
    When chicken is cool remove meat from the bones and all skin, keeping the chicken meat in reasonably large pieces.
    To make the noodles(sliders): Beat the egg with some of the cooled broth, measure out the flour, work the egg mixture into the flour adding broth as required until the dough forms a ball. Knead the ball for a few minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut the dough into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Don't worry if they are irregular in shape. Leave any excess flour on the noodles.
    Bring the reserved broth to a rapid boil, add the noodles and let them boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, add cut up chicken and simmer until the broth is very thick like gravy (add a little flour to thicken if required). Add salt and pepper to taste.
    Nutritional Information
    Amount Per Serving Calories: 613 | Total Fat: 17.8g | Cholesterol: 135mg

    Nutritional Information
    Chicken and Sliders
    Servings Per Recipe: 6

    Amount Per Serving

    Calories: 613

    Total Fat: 17.8g
    Cholesterol: 135mg
    Sodium: 239mg
    Total Carbs: 67.8g
    Dietary Fiber: 3g
    Protein: 41.8g

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you all SOOOO much! My grandmother also made chicken and sliders, a favorite among us kids, and I never asked her to show me how. The only thing I didn't see here was that she added whole cloves, which gave a warm, mild flavor. None of my friends have ever heard of them, but they aren't Canadian descendants, I assume.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My mother made these dumplings but I never really learned how except to roll them out and put them in the pot. I have been trying to find a recipe since she died and this is the first site I have seen that has wonderful french Canadian recipes. The first thing I did was bookmark this site so I can show it to my sister. Thanks for this, I'm making the dumplings tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Paula Dean's recipe is closest to my grandmother's. She was Pennsylvania Dutch and we called it chicken "pot pie" in South Central Pa. It was basic ally a low end pie dough cut in str,ps and boiled in a pot.
    She taught how to make it by feel and it was about 2.5 to three cups of flour, salt too much can ruin the dough so go easy at first try a teaspoon or less ( pour it in the pa;am of my hand and would guess it is 3/4 teaspoon, a tablespoon of lard or Crisco. Mix with fingers until it feels meely and crumly but not greasy. If greasy you used too much lard add more flour.
    Then she would take the bowl over to the sink and turn on the faucet just a little adding water and mixing at the same time until it just came together. A pretty dry dough. Form a ball and cover or wrap with plastic and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Divide the dough into manageable portions and begin rolling out on very well floured surface as thin as you can get it without tearing it. Don't worry too much about using too much flour when rolling it out as I think the loose flour that clings to the noodles helps thicken the broth making it almost a gravy.
    Drop the noodles one at a time into boiling broth and cook to the tenderness you like sampling frequently.

    In our area people make it with any meat they have. Turkey carcass, leftover ham bone, beef, rabbit, squirrel, even sausage. My grandmother told me that in the Great Depression if they did not have any meat they sometimes just flavored the broth with lard and onions

    I loved it when I was young and still do. She made some version for me every Saturday that I mowed her lawn. That was the pay I wanted.
    I have experimented with a pasta roller and it actually works pretty good getting the dough really thin but with the pasta machine you can actually get it too thin. I have never gotten it too thin using a rolling pin

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJune 17, 2013

    I've never heard of calling a noodle a dumpling,I've always eaten Bisquick dumplings.

    ReplyDelete

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