Gourmet Recipes for Traditional Dumplings

Made with Bacon, Spinach or Chicken Livers

Sep 24, 2009 Marie Brannon

Generations of Europeans and Americans have enjoyed these plump nuggets of lightness through the years. Here are some variations on a basic recipe for simmered dumplings.

In many areas of the world, dumplings are prepared by mixing a basic dough and simmering balls of it in a kettle of liquid. Water, tomato sauces and chicken stock or broth are commonly used for this purpose.

Bacon Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of day-old bread, crusts removed
• ¾ cup diced bacon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with milk
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• ½ cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a skillet brown the bacon until it is crisp and drain it on paper towels
2. Using the fat left in the skillet, sauté the bread crumbs, stirring, until they are browned
3. Move the cubes to a bowl and add the egg and parsley
4. Add the flour, a little at a time, and salt and pepper
5. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes
6. Add the bacon bits and toss lightly
7. Moisten your hands and roll the mixture into eight balls of about 2” in diameter each
8. Drop the dumplings into a kettle of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes

Serve with crisp onion rings or sauerkraut. Makes eight dumplings.

Spinach Dumplings

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup cooked spinach, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup Ricotta cheese
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup flour

Directions:

1. In a skillet sauté the spinach in the butter until it is heated through and all the moisture has evaporated
2. Stir in the ricotta cheese and seasonings
3. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for five minutes
4. Move the mixture to a bowl and let stand for ten minutes
5. Stir in the egg, Parmesan cheese and flour
6. Cover the mixture and chill for one hour
7. Form the chilled mixture into balls and drop them into a kettle of boiling lightly salted water
8. Simmer the dumplings for 8 to 10 minutes and lift them carefully from the water with a wooden spoon

Serve hot with any veal dish. Makes approximately sixteen dumplings.

Chicken Liver Dumplings

Ingredients:

• ½ pound chicken livers, ground through a food grinder
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock

Directions:

1. In a bowl cream the softened butter with the egg until mixture is well combined
2. Stir in the livers, bread crumbs, garlic, salt, marjoram and pepper
3. In a saucepan bring the chicken stock to a boil
4. Form dumplings from the liver mixture and drop them into the boiling stock
5. Reduce heat and simmer for eight to ten minutes

Serve with creamed vegetables or soup. Makes approximately twenty dumplings.

Dumplings are a great as a side dish by themselves or added to almost any stew or soup. For gourmet recipes of steamed, baked and fried dumplings, readers may be interested in Gourmet Recipes for Homemade Dumplings.

The copyright of the article Gourmet Recipes for Traditional Dumplings in Recipes is owned by Marie Brannon. Permission to republish Gourmet Recipes for Traditional Dumplings in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Bacon Dumplings

Spinach Dumplings

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Sep 25, 2009 7:27 AM

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