He decided that he was going to make Claudia's Turkish Dumplings tonight, and make them he did. It was a labor intensive recipe, but they turned out pretty well. We both thought they tasted great, but between the cooking and Little B exploring the house was a mess afterwards so we probably won't be making them again overly soon.
I'll post the recipe after the pictures in case anyone feels up to the challenge.
My husband's first attempt at dumplings ... look at how neat and tidy those cuts are!
He ran into a little trouble with the dough sticking to the rolling mat, but all in all things went pretty well.
That said, he didn't get the edges sealed up quite as well and some of the filling slipped out during the boiling process. He just slipped the little meat balls back in and crossed his fingers.
As he is quite thorough when he is super excited about something (as he was making this recipe), he did a lot of research to find the best Turkish dumpling recipe out there. This was the one he chose, but others suggested putting the dumplings in the oven after the boiling process and he gave this a try upon tasting the initially finished product. Here's how his looked!
All the while, Baylor was exploring the kitchen. He found the utensil drawer and took out a silicone potholder. And yes, he tried to spin it.
Then he took the tray off his high chair and carried it around a bit.
Then, he snuck his little hands through the lock on the cupboard under the sink and was able to sneak out some paper towel. And he tore the place up!
Even after I cleaned most of it up, he still wanted to shred the remaining piece - teething away on his duck all the while.
I fed him his dinner while the dumplings were in the oven, so he was left to eat only peas while we ate. This led to a lot of playing with peas. In the end, a major cleaning of his high chair was in order.
So the recipe ...
Active: 1 hr. 15 min.
Total: 1 hr. 25 min.
Serves: 6 to 8
For the Dumplings:
2 1-ounce packets plain instant oatmeal (about 2/3 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Kosher salt
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (1/2 pound) ground beef
1 small white onion, grated and squeezed dry
Freshly ground pepper
For the Toppings:
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, grated
Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1. Make the dumplings: Cook the oatmeal as the label directs, then let cool. Combine the oatmeal, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg and olive oil to the well and mix with a fork. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the beef, onion, and 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl and set aside.
2. Prepare the toppings: Whisk the yogurt, garlic, 1/3 cup water, and salt to taste in a bowl. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and paprika and cook 1 minute. Set the yogurt sauce and spiced oil aside.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a 20-by-4-inch rectangle, then cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1 teaspoon beef filling in the center of each square, fold over int a triangle and press the edges to seal.
4. Boil the dumplings in batches, stirring occasionally, until they float, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to bowls. Top with the yogurt sauce and spiced oil.
Tips from my husband:
- Use less salt; especially in the meat mixture.
- Make sure to heat the oil for ONLY one minute, otherwise the spices may burn.
- For less doughy dumplings, place on a greased cookie sheet for 25 minutes, give or take.
- Make sure you seal the edges very well or the filling will come out.
- When served as a main dish, this will make four hearty servings. With ample side dishes, you could stretch it to 6 to 8 servings.
I personally didn't care for the spiced oil, but the yogurt mixture made a really tasty dipping sauce. My husband liked and used both.
For the Dumplings:
2 1-ounce packets plain instant oatmeal (about 2/3 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Kosher salt
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (1/2 pound) ground beef
1 small white onion, grated and squeezed dry
Freshly ground pepper
For the Toppings:
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, grated
Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1. Make the dumplings: Cook the oatmeal as the label directs, then let cool. Combine the oatmeal, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg and olive oil to the well and mix with a fork. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the beef, onion, and 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl and set aside.
2. Prepare the toppings: Whisk the yogurt, garlic, 1/3 cup water, and salt to taste in a bowl. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and paprika and cook 1 minute. Set the yogurt sauce and spiced oil aside.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a 20-by-4-inch rectangle, then cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1 teaspoon beef filling in the center of each square, fold over int a triangle and press the edges to seal.
4. Boil the dumplings in batches, stirring occasionally, until they float, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to bowls. Top with the yogurt sauce and spiced oil.
Tips from my husband:
- Use less salt; especially in the meat mixture.
- Make sure to heat the oil for ONLY one minute, otherwise the spices may burn.
- For less doughy dumplings, place on a greased cookie sheet for 25 minutes, give or take.
- Make sure you seal the edges very well or the filling will come out.
- When served as a main dish, this will make four hearty servings. With ample side dishes, you could stretch it to 6 to 8 servings.
I personally didn't care for the spiced oil, but the yogurt mixture made a really tasty dipping sauce. My husband liked and used both.
We hope you enjoy it!
2 comments:
I wish my husband would go on a foodie kick! The most extravagant thing he's made since we've been married is mashed potatoes in a box with mushroom soup on top :)
Ew, yuck! Have him watch Julie and Julia ... that movie celebrates food like no other. Ooh, or if you're in the mood for desserts, watch Waitress with him. Yum!
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