Perfect dumplings?

Question

Tell me your methods and secrets to the perfect dumpling

Answer 1

These are called "feather dumplings" because they're so light. The secret is to use mostly breadcrumbs and just a little flour. They're also very easy to make.

--1 cup flour
--1/2 cup fresh soft breadcrumbs (note: 1 slice of soft white sandwich bread makes about 1/3 cup crumbs. Tear the slices into bite-size pieces and put them into a food processor or blender. Process very briefly until they are irregular-size crumbs. Then spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 250 for about 10 minutes, until dry. You can put any leftovers in a tightly-sealed plastic bag and freeze them to use later.)
--2 teaspoons baking powder
--3/4 teaspoon salt
--2 tblespoons butter
--1 small onion, very finely chopped--about 1/4 cup
--6 to 8 sprigs parsley, very finely chopped
--1 egg
--1/3 cup milk
--freshly-ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder and salt, using a fork.
Melt the butter in a small pan (or in the microwave in a glass custard cup) and set aside.
Put the melted butter, onion, egg, and milk into another bowl, and beat well with a fork.
Stir the egg mixture into the dry mixture to make a stiff batter. Stir until smooth. Add the parsley and the pepper. Mix well.
When your chicken (or whatever type of stew you're making) is about 20 minutes from done, scoop up rounded tablespoons of batter and push them off with your finger onto the bubbling broth. (It doesn't have to be at a full boil, but it needs to be bubbling.) Continue until you've used up all the batter and the surface is covered with dumplings.
Cover the pot tightly; now it's time to reduce the heat to low. Don't lift the cover; the steam from the broth is needed to cook the dumplings to the proper tenderness. Simmer for 20 minutes.

These are foolproof (if you follow the directions of course) and produce reliably tender and delicious dumplings. Go ahead and try some of the other ideas that have been submitted here, but try these at least once!

Answer 2

My secret ingredient in my chicken and dumpling soup is to go to the restaurant and buy a family size dumpling soup of there's and add it to my soup. Family thinks I can make dumplings but every time I've tired I get glue. This way it's perfect every time. I call it my semi home made chicken dumpling soup :)

Answer 3

Half suet to flour, pinch of salt. NEVER EVER use plain flour, they will come out like bullets i.e. 4ozs flour, 2ozs suet mqkes about 4 dumplings. Mix in water, gradually, you can always add more but not take it out. Keep it just on the dry side, roll into balls, gently, and drop into simmering gravy for about 15-20 minutes.
Tomorrow I am making Steak & Kidney pudding (which involves the same mixture) This may seem lazy but if you make your suet mix and roll out to the same size as your saucepan lid that holds the pre cooked S & K, You just put it on simmer, drop your suet mix in and in 40 mins you have the most delicious dinner. Don't forget the mushrooms. Enjoy!

Answer 4

Flat Dumplings
"Quick and easy, great for chicken and dumplings."

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons minced onion

DIRECTIONS
Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
Stir together broth, egg, parsley, and onion. Add dry ingredients and stir until moistened.
Turn out on floured board, knead lightly. Roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles and drop into boiling soup or broth. Reduce heat to medium, cook 15 minutes or until done.

Answer 5

My mom would kill me if she knew I ruined her chicken and dumpling recipe with this but here goes.

I buy a can of refrigerated biscuit dough {buttermilk is what I prefer but NOT the flaky layer ones} cut each biscuit up in 4s or 8s {for smaller dumplings} quick simple and no one can even tell i didn't make them from scratch been fooling people for almost 15 yrs!

Answer 6

my family likes rolled, not dropped, dumplings.

2-3 cups flour, salt, pepper, one egg, mix well & add hot broth or water and mix until all ingredients are moistened and a dough is created. let sit for a few minutes. flour a flat surface (counter, cutting board) and roll out dough to 1/8" thickness. cut into 1" x 2" strips. bring chicken broth to a boil (water, a carrot, an onion, a whole chicken, simmered for 40 minutes; skim any scum from surface & add salt, pepper, two bay leaves & poultry seasonings, remove chicken & veggies from broth, pull chicken from bones & set aside). drop dumplings one at a time into boiling section of the pot. cook until dumplings float (taste testing for doneness is a must). lower heat to simmer & add pulled chicken meat back to pot to heat through.

we eat this country style chicken & dumplings at holidays & special occaisions. my mom made it a "holiday only" dish while she was alive, because it is such a production and makes such a mess, and my sister & i would always ask for this for our birthday dinner. it is economic and will feed a large group of people, with plenty left over.

Answer 7

Ingredients
Some dumpling wraps, ground beef, cabbage, Salt, Black pepper, Sesame oil, carrots
Tai bai fen, a cooking starch made from potatoes or cassava (or substitute with arrowroot powder or corn starch)
Steps
1
Shred the cabbage and put into a stainless pot.
2
Mix the cabbage and minced meat together by hand. Ground meat is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder. Pork and lamb are generally preferred for Chinese dumplings, but beef, chicken, and turkey may be used as well. In South Asia, both lamb (mutton) and goat meat are popular. The process of mincing is usually done manually.
3
Add the balm, salt and a little tai bai fen (cornstarch/cornflour) and mix again.
4
Massage the cabbage mixture with your hand for 10 minutes. to make it dry. While you massage the mixture, if you feel that there is not enough tai bai fen, you should add more.
5
Put the mixture on the wrapping. Two types of wrappers are readily available in supermarkets and Asian food stores. Wonton wrappers (also called skins) are delicate and paper-thin, usually about a thirty-second of an inch thick. They typically come in three-inch squares and are made from flour, eggs, and salt. These wrappers, which are Chinese in origin, are suitable for boiling, steaming, deep-frying, and pan-frying. You can also make your own.
6
Wet the edge with a damp finger and fold the sides together, crimping (pressing together) with your fingers to seal the contents inside. To do this, first fold it in half and press together the top of the edge. Then press each side together, while crimping it so that it looks like the picture below. Simple "dumpling maker or mould" http://goo.gl/QIYoJN are also available to simplify this process.
7
Wrap the crusts up as in the picture below.
8
Put the dumplings in boiling water. To make sure that they are thoroughly cooked, one method in China is the "3 boil" method: Add the dumplings to boiling water, and return the water to a boil. Then add 1 or 2 cups of water (cold or room temp). Wait for it to boil the second time, then add water again. After the water boils the third time, it's done!
9
Transfer the dumplings carefully from the pot to a plate and enjoy.

Answer 8

Make sure your broth is at a rolling boil when you drop the dumplings in and then turn down the heat and stir very very sparingly, just once in a while so they don't stick.

Answer 9

My husband said I've got perfect dumplings. Exercise

Answer 10

4oz Self raising flour pinch salt herbs of your choice, and either2oz veg suet, or ordinary suet,and a teaspoon of baking powder, mix all ingredient, add a little water to bind to a soft dough, take a dessert spoonful of the mix flour your hands and roll the dough between them to form a ball shape put in to your casserole, stew, or soup[make sure the dish is boiling], once all of them have been added cover turn down the heat and cook for twenty minutes, enjoy.