On Tue 04 Oct 2005 07:14:02p, Bob Terwilliger wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Rosie replied to Wayne:
>
>> should never be cooked at a "brisk" boil. Rolled dumplings
>> should not be cooked in a covered pot. The cooking time of 40 minutes
>> is nearly triple what it should take, with 15 minutes being about
>> right. The combination of these factors would surely disintegrate the
>> dumplings.
>>
>> OK, thank you Wayne, no wonder I had a problem, will try less time and
>> more gentle cooking. I guess gentle seems to work for most things...
>> LOL
>
> Coming in after the problem has already been pinpointed, I wanted to
> mention that my dumpling recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of butter rather
> than your 1/3 cup of shortening. That MIGHT also contribute to the
> delicacy of the dumplings, although Wayne is 100% correct about not
> boiling them hard. I disagree about cooking them in a covered pot; I
> think that the retained steam is essential to getting the dumplings to
> take on the right texture.
>
> Bob

The butter vs. shortening is probably true, although I've used both and
haven't noticed a remarkable difference. It's imperative to cover the pot
when cooking drop dumplings because they generally rest on the top surface
of whatever is cooking in the pot; e.g., stew, etc., and depend largely on
the captured steam for thorough cooking. OTOH, rolled dumplings cook
totally immersed in the cooking liquid. I can't see what steam would have
to do with making them cook differently.

When I cook rolled dumplings, it's usually in rather large quantity. I
cook them in broth enriched and slightly thickened with cream and egg yolk.
The dumplings are cooked in batches and the the pot stirred occasionally
with a wooden spoon, removing dumplings as they are done and adding more as
there is room. The pot is never covered and the dumplings are perfect.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
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