Ugly Dumpling Soup

 

 

So, here you are. It's the next day and you couldn't eat all of that wonderfully delicious and exceptionally ugly pork, could you?
You have leftovers now don't you?
You want to hide the evidence?
Well, my friend, you're in luck.
I know you find this hard to believe now but we can transform that leftover pork into a beautiful, elegant soup...
Ah....Is that a loaf of bread on your counter?
How long have you had it? Only a couple days...so it's nice and stale?
OK we're good to go..
Grab some eggs for the dumplings and some veggies from your fridge .... and of course chicken broth.
Who doesn't have broth or stock sitting in their cupboard?.....ok well, that's another post.
Let's do this.

Oh, one more thing. According to Mario Batali, Bread Dumpling Soup in Italy is translated to mean the balls of the wolf. The wolf is an elusive creature and not often caught. The recipe for these dumplings are just as elusive because it uses day old bread and whatever leftovers you have on hand. Only you know what's in that fridge.

 The Soup

6 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Large Stalks Celery, Chopped

2 Large Carrots, Chopped

1 Small Onion, Chopped

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 Cup Frozen (Fresh is Better) Peas, Thawed

1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley

Any Leftover Veggies

Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat.

Saute carrots, celery and onion about 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and bay leaves...and whatever herbs you like.
Go ahead, get crazy...use a bit of sage, to awaken the pork from yesterday

Simmer about 15 minutes or until carrots begin to soften.

The last few minutes of cooking, add peas and chopped parsley.
If you have any veggies left over from last night's dinner, throw those in too!
It's a good way to hide the zucchini.

Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.

With Mario Batali's dumplings, he uses a ratio of 20% meat to 80% bread. Don't tell anyone, but I upped the meat and used what I had so my ratio was about 50/50. It was very good! Shhh

 The Dumplings

6 1/2 Cups Day Old Bread Cut Into 1" Pieces

2 Cups Cold Milk

4 egg yolks

2 Whole Eggs

4 Oz Leftover Meat, Such as Ugly Pork

2/3 Cup Grated Parmesan

Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

 

4 Egg White Beaten Until Frothy

2 Cups Fresh Bread Crumbs

 

 Soak the stale bread in cold milk for 10 minutes.

 Wring out excess milk and add to ...

 4 egg yolks beaten, parmesan, meat, grated nutmeg and two whole eggs.

 Mix until just combined.

 Form mixture into 1-2" balls.

Dip in beaten egg whites.

Roll in fresh bread crumbs.

 

Heat olive oil over medium heat and fry your dumplings until golden brown.

Keep warm in oven.

 To serve, place 3 or 4 or even 5 dumplings in a bowl.

Ladle soup into the bowl.

Garnish with extra parsley and freshly grated parmesan.

Look at that beautiful dumpling smiling back at us, just waiting to disappear.

It's soothing and filling. It's not too heavy. It's a perfect dinner for a cool and rainy spring day.

The dumplings stay crisp on the outside and warm and dumpling-like on the inside.

Today, you can have your ugly pork and eat in front of your friends too!

Until next time my friend...

 

 

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