Collard Greens With Cornmeal Dumplings Food

COLLARDS WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and saute for 5 minutes until translucent and starting to brown. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
• Add the collards, paprika, poultry seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt and saute for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the water/broth.
• Simmer the collard mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the collards simmer, prepare the cornmeal dumplings: Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and a dash of the salt.
• Blend in the butter with your fingertips. Stir in the milk and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Let the dough stand for 5 minutes.
• Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls. You may need to wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking.
• Scatter the dumplings on top of the greens. Cook, covered and undisturbed, over low heat until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls and serve.

COLLARD GREENS AND CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Make the stock: In a large heavy stockpot, bring 3 quarts water, the smoked meat, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer, partially covered, until the flavors are well blended, about 2 hours.
• Remove the meat from the broth. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones (discard the skin, fat, and bones). Chop the meat and reserve for another use. (The meat can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.) Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the stock into a container. Refrigerate the stock until the fat floats to the top or skim the fat using a fat separator or spoon to use immediately. For chilled stock, use a slotted spoon to skim off the fat and discard. Pour out 6 cups stock to use; reserve the rest for another use in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• Make the collards: In a medium saucepan, bring the 6 cups stock, the onion and garlic to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and simmer while preparing the greens.
• Thoroughly wash the collards and trim away the stems, if desired. Discard the stems or coarsely chop. Stack 2 or 3 leaves on a cutting board and roll tightly into a log. Slice the greens crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons. Place the greens and stems, if using, and the chiles in the broth and return to a simmer. Cook, covered, about 1 1/2 hours for very tender greens; you may cook them for less time if you have young greens or prefer greens with more chew. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• About half an hour before the collards are done, prepare the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Spoon out 1/2 cup of the potlikker from the collards and add to the butter. Remove from the heat and stir it into the dry ingredients, adding more potlikker 1 tablespoon at a time if needed for the dough to come together into a mass. Let stand 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use wet fingertips to shape the dough into 6 round dumplings.
• During the last 15 minutes of the collards' cooking time, carefully drop the cornmeal dumplings into the pot with the greens, making sure the dumplings are submerged in the potlikker. Cover the pot and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the greens and dumplings in bowls with plenty of potlikker.

SIMMERED GREENS WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Score bacon 2 or 3 times (do not cut all the way through), then simmer in water in a wide 6-quart pot, covered, 1 hour.
• Discard any coarse stems from greens and coarsely chop leaves.
• Add greens, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to bacon and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then blend in butter well with your fingertips. Stir in milk until just combined. Let dough stand 5 minutes.
• With wet hands, roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls.
• Gently place dumplings on top of greens. Cook, covered and undisturbed, over low heat until greens are very tender and silky and dumplings are puffed and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Discard bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

MIXED-GREENS AND SAUSAGE SOUP WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For dumplings:
• Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in milk and butter, then green onions. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Using wet hands, shape mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, into 18 dumplings, arranging on sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
• For soup:
• Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; sauté until fat renders, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, hot sauce, and allspice; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Return to simmer before continuing.
• Add greens to simmering soup. Cook greens uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drop in dumplings. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer until dumplings are tender and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle soup and dumplings into bowl.