Growing up in the south in the home of one of the finest country cooks in west Tennessee, I acquired an early appreciation for a good dumpling. An old Kraft Foods rep I used to do business with years ago gave me a simple dumpling recipe that works well.

I think, though, that a recent foray into experimenting with these delectable bites of goodness may have led me to an improvement on Rick’s simple and tasty recipe.

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Ingredients

1 – 2 pounds turkey necks (fresh or smoked)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
garlic powder
onion powder
cayenne pepper
black pepper
1 egg
Cotija cheese; grated

Directions

In a stockpot cover the neck bones with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for an hour or longer, until the meat is tender and easily tears away from the bone. Discard bones, and set meat aside for later.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and corn meal in a mixing bowl. Add other seasonings to taste. Add egg, and a bit of the turkey stock. Start with about a half a cup of stock; and add a bit at a time while stirring to combine.

Add enough liquid to make a smooth batter. If you get it too thin, sprinkle in a bit more corn meal or flour to thicken. I like something like a thick pancake batter. To me, thin is better than too thick.

Bring the stock to a gentle boil; add batter to the stock by the spoonfuls; don’t over crowd. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove one dumpling and test. When satisfied with them, spoon all of them out of the pot and add another batch; repeat until all the batter is used.

Spoon dumplings into serving bowls along with some of the reserved turkey meat. Ladle stock over the dumpling and meat mixture. Top with a healthy sprinkling of Cotija cheese. Yes, I know this sounds weird; but trust me. It’s good.

September 9, 2017:  Update — here’s one I’m going to try today.

1. Sift 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour/powder mixture; pour in 1 cup of hot chicken broth, mixing first with a fork, then with your fingers. Add the egg and mix well again.
2. Knead the dough for a few seconds on a floured board. Separate the dough into 4 or 5 parts and roll as thin as possible. Cut into 1 1/2 or 2 inch wide pieces. Break these into 2 inch long strips. Drop into boiling chicken broth and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with previously prepared meat.