Thank goodness for freezers, Dungeon Meshi Maniacs. Believe it or not I still have potsticker leftovers! They are safely tucked away in the dark reaches of my freezer where they will slumber until needed. You have to give it to the modern world, we don't have to worry about cooking too much and it going to waste. Like with this week. Seriously, look at the spread Senshi makes of Changeling Dumplings From Fairy Ring.
I'm not sure how long I could deal with a new body, DMMs. It could be fun at first but after awhile I'd get sick of smacking my head on things or not being able to reach other things. Things play a large role in my life! Thankfully I'm not pursued by gargoyles.
These are some persistent stone guardians! And the gang is at a major disadvantage, what not being in their correct bodies and all. Thankfully they fumble and bumble around and find a defense that works. They are covered in Changeling Mushroom Spores and anything that goes through a circle while those spores are about is changed into something else. Don't believe me? Well look at this, DMMs!
These are some persistent stone guardians! And the gang is at a major disadvantage, what not being in their correct bodies and all. Thankfully they fumble and bumble around and find a defense that works. They are covered in Changeling Mushroom Spores and anything that goes through a circle while those spores are about is changed into something else. Don't believe me? Well look at this, DMMs!
Wow! It's that statue from the famous movie written by that Communist! Too bad there aren't any incognito princesses out on the town that can be startled when someone sticks their hand in its mouth. And the second gargoyle?
*gasp* The statue from ANIMAL CROSSING!?! The group didn't even have to wake Gulliver to get this either. What esoteric choices, DMMs. You can tell the author has a wide range of interests. But how does that get us to Senshi making so many different dumplings? He starts out by doing what I am doing, reusing leftovers. Unfortunately, Izutsumi is bored with potstickers and loads Senshi into the Ball-Kicking Machine.
I've seen a lot of low blows in my life, but my goodness! She threw Senshi's pride off the top of Hell in the Cell, DMMs! Senshi is broken in half! Thankfully Senshi is one tough dwar...elf. He takes his pain and turns it into ingenuity. Remember how Changelings work in this dungeon? You just need to be covered in spores and a circle. Luckily, Senshi has the perfect option.
You have no idea how much money Senshi could make if he could sell this! Instant different dumpling! Sign me up. That's great for the gang but where does that leave us? I've also already made potstickers, though I'm not tired of them yet. But I didn't want to repeat even a similar dish which got me to thinking. What is a dumpling, anyway? I found that isn't so easily answered, DMMs! Dumplings go back as far as 1,700 years ago when we find our first reference to them in a poem in China. And every culture has their own version of a dumpling. The universal seems to be a cooked bit of dough, sometimes with a filling. That's it. I didn't want to make various dumplings so I decided to go back to my home and cook the dumplings I grew up with. Chicken and Dumplings anyone?
Chicken and Dumplings is another serious dish that everyone has opinions on. Once again there are extreme regionalism and and even household differences. In fact, the version we ate in my home isn't the version I'm making tonight. We apparently made Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie which is actually a thick stew with long egg noodles rather than dumplings. Why? Simple. It is my brother's favorite food. So that's the chicken and dumplings I grew up with. What I'm making is a bit more classic. Which means we start with the soup and by that I mean the veggies!
You shouldn't be surprised by now, DMMs. It's a classic line up; carrots, onion, garlic, celery. The new addition are frozen peas. You'll want to dice everything except for the peas. Those stay in the bag until needed. Put some oil in the widest pot you have, not necessarily the deepest. We'll talk about why later. Heat that over medium heat and add all the diced veggies. Heat'm up for about 3 minutes. Now for the fun part, add 5 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup of All-Purpose Flour to the pot!
I love any excuse to throw in nearly whole sticks of butter into a dish! You don't need to cut it up unless you love to chop things, DMMs. The heat will take care of it all. Just stir until the butter has melted. Now it's time for the liquid of your soup.
Hey, I want my chicken and dumplings to taste like CHICKEN! So I'm chickening it up by putting in 6 cups of chicken broth and 4 teaspoons of the Better Than Bullion paste. Dump it all in and add your spices. As usual, this is all up to you, DMMs. This being a soup the usual suspects will work; thyme, rosemary, paprika, oregano. Just be sure to put in pepper and salt!
We have a pretty ripping veggie soup now but we need to make Chicken and Dumplings so it's time to add the first part.
As a wise man once said, handling raw chicken is the best part of the job! Take a pound and a half-ish boneless skinless chicken breast. Just pop that in the soup and bring to a boil. Once you get a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
You want this chicken to cook all the way through, DMMs. So give it at least ten minutes. Once the chicken is cooked you just pull it out and set on a cutting board to rest. The soup goes on without it for a little.
We need to make this creamier and we do that by going back to the beginning of modern food science with a can of Evaporated Milk!
Flour, milk, baking powder, sour cream, salt. That's it! Gotta love uncomplicated cooking. Okay, you also need two tablespoons of melted butter. Okay, maybe it's not that simple. While the soup is simmering and the chicken resting go and mix these together for your dumplings. First, put a 1 and 2/3rds cup of flour, a tablespoon of baking powder and about a half teaspoon of salt into a bowl and kind of form a pit in the center. This is where you will pour your milk.
Pretty mixed together if I do say so myself. Now time to find out why these are called Drop Dumplings. Because we take a teaspoon scoop and drop them right into the soup. Seriously! That's how you make them.
This is also why you want a wide pot. You are going to cover the top with these drops and they will plump up. So give them some space to grow, DMMs! Continue until you are out of dough. Cover the pot again and simmer on low for about 14 minutes.
Yes, that's the same photo from above. What do you want from me? Multiple shots of a covered pot from various angles? You should know by now that I'm not the artistic type, DMMs! While the dumplings cook go ahead and cut up the chicken.
Looks like chicken! Once the time is up slowly remove the lid and break up the now plump dumplings.
Those got huge, DMMs! Breaking them up makes them easier to eat and are less likely to be a choking hazard. No reason to go to the ER because of deliciousness! Add the chopped chicken and let everything simmer for a few minutes. Once a little time passes your chicken and dumplings are done! Before we eat just look at these dumplings.
Nice and chewy but not overly "doughy." They really did puff up during cooking. I like their subtle flavor. I did add a little of the spices I put into the soup into my dumpling mix but you don't have to. These were great regardless! And the soup?
Delicious! This was so worth the effort, DMMs. Very flavorful and the dumplings make it so much fun to eat. Plus, it makes enough that you'll end up having leftovers. Worried that you'll get bored? It freezes well! Be sure to give it a shot yourself. OH! That's right, we forgot how the dungeon gang fixed their single body problem.
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