Dumplings for Casserole or Stew
I used to make dumplings with suet and they most often turned out like lead. I found this recipe and it is simply no-fail, light and delicious. The photo shows them a little ragged, but a more careful cook would do a better job.
I used to make dumplings with suet and they most often turned out like lead. I found this recipe and it is simply no-fail, light and delicious. The photo shows them a little ragged, but a more careful cook would do a better job.
- Carbohydrate 43.7820083333333 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.57325 g
- Fiber 1.71541669343909 g
- Protein 5.86925833333333 g
- Saturated Fat 0.09415 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (59g)
- Sodium 185.62 mg
- Sugar 42.0665916398942 g
- Trans Fat 0.18305 g
- Calories 207 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix sifted flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
- Add the margerine and lightly rub together until the combined ingredients resemble breadcrumbs.
- Add the milk into the flour mixture and lightly combine with a large spoon taking care not to overwork it or beat in any way. Add perhaps a dessertspoon extra milk if the dough does not seem quite moist enough.
- Drop dessertspoon sized scoops of the dough into the casserole which is gently bubbling. You will need a knife to scrape it out.
- Lid on the casserole and check after 10 minutes when they should have risen to twice their size.
- Leave for a further 10-15 mins and serve.
Swapping standard margarine for liquid vegetable oil produces dense, greasy dumplings instead of the desired light texture because solid fats are required to create pockets of steam during cooking. Achieving proper consistency requires careful attention to technique.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together to aerate the dry ingredients and evenly distribute the chemical leavening agent.
- Rub the margarine into the flour using only your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, stopping before the fat melts from hand heat.
- Fold the milk in gently with a large spoon, adding no more than a dessertspoon of extra liquid if dry patches remain, because gluten development ruins tenderness.
- Drop the dough onto a gently bubbling stew rather than a rolling boil, as violent agitation dissolves the dumplings before they expand.
- Keep the lid firmly in place for the first 10 minutes to trap steam, allowing the baking powder to react fully and double the volume.
Precise moisture control dictates whether the final product rises properly or turns out heavy. Proper steam containment inside the vessel ensures the centers cook through before the exteriors become waterlogged.
