Tiny Dumplings With Dill Recipes

CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup stock: Combine the chicken, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, carrot chunks, celery chunks, quartered onion, parsnip chunks, 3 sprigs dill and 3 sprigs parsley in a large pot. Add cold water to cover by 2 inches (about 5 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is very tender, for at least 1 1/2 hours (or up to 2 hours if you have the time. The longer the better!) Add more water, as needed, skimming off scum (there won't be much) and, if desired, some fat.
• Carefully strain the stock, discarding everything except for the chicken. (You should have 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 quarts of stock.) Set the chicken aside to cool briefly while you put together the rest of the soup. Return the strained stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Add the sliced carrot, sliced celery, chopped onion, sliced parsnip, chopped dill, chopped parsley and the salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings: In a small saucepan, bring the butter and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Let cool for a few minutes so it's not so hot that it will cook the eggs, then whisk in the salt, sugar, nutmeg and the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated into a slightly lumpy thick batter. (It'll take a little work to whisk in the eggs.)
• Drop heaping teaspoons of the dumpling mixture into the simmering soup, then cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the dumplings are cooked through; begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes.
• Pull the chicken meat off the bones and chop into bite-sized pieces. Season it with salt, then add it to the soup along with the ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt as needed. This is important: The amount of salt in a chicken soup can mean the difference between unappetizing chicken tea and the elixir of bubble love that it should be. So don't skip this step, and don't rush it, either. Taste your soup, and if it doesn't make you smile reflexively, add more salt, about a 1/2 teaspoon of it, and give it a few good stirs so it can dissolve. Taste and repeat, as needed, until it tastes good.
• Serve, garnishing with fresh parsley.

TEENY TINY BUTTER DUMPLINGS FOR ONE

Steps:

• 1. Cream butter and egg. Add salt, baking powder and flour.
• 2. Bring soup or broth to a boil.
• 3. Drop dough from teaspoon into boiling mixture, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes. *If the steam hurts your hands, this is an alternative way to drop in the dough: Put the mixture into a zip-lock plastic bag. Snip off a corner. Keep a cup of cold water next to you to wet you fingers, and squeeze out the dough through corner of bag, snipping off dough with your fingers. Wet finger tips as needed. This way your hands can be held to the side of pot, rather than directly above the steam.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH DILL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• SOUP: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large 8-quart soup pot. Add vegetables and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
• Stir and skim off foam from surface as it boils, 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer; add 1/4 cup chopped dill and parsnip. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will be.
• DUMPLINGS: Once soup is cooked, combine all ingredients in medium-size bowl, and stir until until a soft batter forms. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into simmering soup broth. Simmer for 5 minutes, turn over and continue for another 5 minutes longer. The dumplings will be puffy. Serve immediately.
• Remove dumplings from leftover soup and store in a separate container in the refrigerator.

MUSHROOM-AND-DILL CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Combine chicken, 2 teaspoons salt, and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool 10 minutes. Discard skin and bones; shred meat into bite-size pieces (you should have 3 cups). Strain broth (you should have 4 cups; if not, add more water).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery, potato, and marjoram. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup flour; cook 30 seconds. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, and 3 tablespoons dill. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1 2/3 cups flour, 3 tablespoons dill, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Cut in remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in milk until dough holds together. Drop 8 heaping spoonfuls of dough on top of chicken mixture. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve with more chopped dill and lemon wedges.