08 March 2013

dumplings

This one is for Andrea. 

It is another gem from the Plenty cookbook. I beg you to take the time to make this vegetable broth for your soup, it is superb and leftovers are even better. And it looks nicer when you serve it with less broth (if you are trying to impress someone).


PARSNIP DUMPLINGS IN BROTH 

Broth 
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, cut into chunks 
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 celery root (aka celeriac), peeled and roughly chopped
7 garlic cloves, peeled 
5 thyme sprigs (I used rosemary) 
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves 
6 prunes 

**The thing about vegetable broth is that you don't keep the vegetables, so don't go out of your way to secure the ingredients (aside from the prunes and bay leaves - essential) and use the carrots that have gone a bit rubbery in your crisper and the celery stalks from the outer edges of your bundle, the bruised ones that tend to taste a bit woody when eaten fresh).

Dumplings 
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium/large parsnips, peeled and diced
1/2 celery root, peeled and diced 
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 Tbsp butter (or Earth Balance) 
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/3 cup flour 
1 egg
salt and pepper 

**To make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup flour, 1 & 1/4 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt. 

To make the broth. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables and garlic and saute for a few minutes until they colour lightly. Add the herbs, spices, and prunes, and cover with cold water so everything is submerged. Simmer on very low heat with a lid on for up to 2 hours, adding more water when needed.

Strain broth through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Set aside. 

To make the dumplings. Cook the potato, parsnips, celery root, and garlic in plenty of boiling, salted water until soft. Drain well. Empty the water pot, add your butter and the root veggies you just cooked and saute on medium heat for a few minutes to get rid of excess moisture. While hot, mash well. Add flour, egg, and some salt and pepper. Mix until incorporated. Chill for 30-60 minutes (more like 60), covered with plastic wrap. 

Reheat the broth and taste for seasoning (I had to add more salt). In a pot, bring some salted water to a light simmer. Scoop up small spoonfuls of your mash, roll into a ball shape with your hands and drop into the water. Once the dumplings come to the surface, leave to simmer for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. 

Ladle hot broth into bowls, place dumplings in broth, garnish with fresh parsley if you have it, and serve immediately. 

Recipe adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2011). Photo by me, filter by Instagram.

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