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Post by ET on Oct 10, 2010 10:49:17 GMT -5
Whenever a holiday comes along there is usually a family gathering to enjoy a meal together. Over the years some meals never change in what is being offered and the repetition of certain dishes is well repetitious. In the past I have tried to vary this a little and one of my favorite and confessed by others is having dumplings. When you prepare a nice piece of meat and gravy of course you want an accompanying dish for the gravy. Potato dumplings really does make a such a dish. Now also in the past I have used instant packages of dumplings because I never really found a homemade recipe that I felt would make a great tasting dumpling. Today that changed while looking around on the net. Being a homemade dumpling I now feel I can even adjust the recipe to accommodate certain tastes so to speak. Anyway I thought I would share my find in case there are any others who enjoy dumplings. First go around I will follow the recipe but second go around I want to add my special ingredient. Ed
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Post by raf on Oct 23, 2010 11:34:16 GMT -5
I saw this and it reminded me of the dumplings my mother used to make. Only difference was she didn't use potatoes, it was all bread. When she cooked them she sometimes used salted water, but more often than not she used chicken stock.
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Post by ET on Oct 24, 2010 4:31:58 GMT -5
I saw this and it reminded me of the dumplings my mother used to make. Only difference was she didn't use potatoes, it was all bread. When she cooked them she sometimes used salted water, but more often than not she used chicken stock. Raf Your comment on bread dumplings brought back memories of a time with my Mom. She also made bread dumplings periodically for a Sunday dinner. Here a wonderful meat dish with gravy would always go with it. After Mom’s passing I thought a lot of the wonderful dishes she made were also lost. That is until I began to explore the net more closely and was surprised to find some of these traditional recipes that at one time were only handed down through the generations. Moms always made a great tasting meal with what little they had to work with. Ed
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Post by mike3132 on Oct 26, 2010 7:07:14 GMT -5
My aunt was from Germany and made potato dumplings from scratch but she used to fry small pieces of bread and put them in the middle of the dumpling before she boiled them. She flavored the bread with some spices but I can remember what they were. We ate them with gravy and they were delicious. Mike
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Post by raf on Oct 26, 2010 7:11:57 GMT -5
You guys are bringing back a lot of memories. ET, that's what my mother used to make. Somewhere I have the recipe and this is almost identical. Mike my mother did something a little different with her bread dumplings. She'd fry bacon really crisp, crush them into bacon bits and put them in the middle of the dumplings. I don't remember what else she put in there but I remember it was great.
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Post by ET on Oct 26, 2010 16:41:25 GMT -5
Mike3132
Well you’ve revealed my special ingredient for the potato dumpling, cubes of bread. With gravy I can honestly say my plate was always cleaned even when a 3rd dumpling was added. ;D Just wish I could make gravy like Mom did.
Ed
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Post by raf on Oct 26, 2010 20:30:53 GMT -5
After all this talk about dumplings I decided I'd better make some. Using the recipe you gave for potatoe dumplings, I went shopping a picked up what I needed. They were OK and ate more than my fair share with some pork gravy and a pork chop. But, I'll have to say I much preferr the bread dumplings.
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Post by ET on Oct 27, 2010 4:53:53 GMT -5
Raf
Funny how tastes differ with different individuals when it comes to certain foods. My preference is towards potato dumplings probably because of more exposure to them and related recipes in the past. A good gravy can make or break the quality of the meal enjoyed. Here too meat-cooking preparation can affect the quality of the gravy with say vegetables combined with the meat during the cooking process. Or even just wrapping the meat such as a roast with strips of smoked bacon but then you had to skim the fat off afterwards. Next are a few simple spices such as salt & pepper in the right amount.
Now for me the final step for good gravy is the texture or thickness of the gravy. Mom had just flower to work with and could only thicken the gravy to a certain point without over powering the gravy with a flower flavoring. Now for me I have been experimenting with another approach by using another store bought product that does not add or subtract any flavoring but only thickens the gravy. It’s called “Veloutine” but be careful when using this because you can quickly over thicken gravy if not careful. If you like a little bit of body texture to your gravy it will provide that for sure.
Ed
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Post by raf on Oct 27, 2010 15:07:27 GMT -5
Ed, I think it's all a matter of what you grew up with. I don't remember ever having potatoe dumplings at home. It was alway bread dumplings 'cause they were also my fathers favorite. I've got my mothers recipe and it's almost exactly like the one you posted. For gravy we usually make our own from the juices of what ever we're roasting, turkey, pork, beef or what ever. However when that's not possible we use the gravy packets. Just add water and heat and stir. IMO they're everybit as good.
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Post by ET on Oct 27, 2010 20:11:37 GMT -5
Raf
To be honest I have never tried making packaged gravy and will take your word that it’s good. For me it’s always been drippings from cooked meat so far as you mentioned but will have to give the package gravy a try sometime down the road.
Another additive to mash potatoes Mom used to incorporate was cream of wheat to add body to the mashed potatoes. Trying to locate a recipe for that but only ended up finding another dumpling recipe. Well there’s a starting point to work/tweak with anyway.
Bohemian Potato Dumplings
6 medium cooked and well mashed potatoes 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs (do not beat) 1/3 cup Cream of Wheat 1/2 cup milk 2 cups sifted all purpose flour Mix potatoes, salt, eggs and Cream of Wheat thoroughly. Add milk and sifted flour. Mix all ingredients well. Knead on floured board. Shape into oblong rolls. Drop in boiling salted water. Boil 20 to 25 minutes.
Ed
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Post by raf on Oct 27, 2010 21:01:53 GMT -5
It's funny you mention a different recipe. Actually my wife came home today and over an adult beverage she said there was something missing from those potatoe dumplings. She'd thought about it and decided it needed onions. Like the bread dumplings it needed some onion. She said that an onion should have been chopped up, and sauteed in some butter 'till soft and added to the mix. Now we also shredded the pototoes and she thought they should have been a little finer. I guess these are things to keep in mind for next time.
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Post by mike3132 on Oct 27, 2010 22:42:45 GMT -5
The secret to good gravy is cook your flour a bit to get rid of the flour taste before you add the liquid mix of half water and half milk. Gravy will be nice a rich with some body. Corn starch or Arrow root can also be used instead of flour but flour makes a better gravy in my opinion. Mike
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Post by ET on Oct 28, 2010 0:06:10 GMT -5
Raf
Your wife is probably right about onions missing in the first recipe. I made a note of that.
Mike3132
Now that I haven’t tried is adding some milk into the gravy. Oh I like flower over cornstarch as well but for some reason too much flower in the gravy to me alters the taste. Just my crazy taste receptors I guess. ;D Thanks for the tip on using milk.
Ed
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Post by 10ga on Nov 12, 2010 15:54:45 GMT -5
As a southerner the proper thickening for gravy is corn starch or corn flour. Wheat flour is for yankees but will do if you don't have corn. 10
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blackpowder
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Post by blackpowder on Mar 3, 2011 18:39:35 GMT -5
and i thought i was the only person that makes potato Dumplings ..my mom made both the potato and bread dumplings ...i prefere the potato dumplings with the sauerbraten ...
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