Make This!!

Happy Rosh Hoshanah to my Jewish friends! We aren't Jewish but did think it would be fun to make these for dinner tonight. I am so glad we did - they were excellent (& so easy to make).

Easy as 1-2-3!

This is Nas' second helping. I forgot to snap a photo earlier. They turned out great and I will definitely make them again.

NOTE: Don't be intimidated by all the steps. This recipe is VERY EASY and I had to stop in the middle to drive the XC carpool. It took about an hour and a half from beginning to end (& my kitchen smelled divine).

Kreplach (Yiddish Dumplings)

Makes 2 to 3 dozen dumplings

Ingredients
Dough:
•3 cups all-purpose flour
•2 teaspoons salt
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/3 cup vegetable oil
•1 cup warm water
Filling:
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rendered chicken fat
•1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
•1 small red potato, peeled and cut into chunks
•8 ounces cooked chicken (white and dark meat), or other leftover meats if you have them
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•Up to 1/4 cup chicken broth (if needed)
Instructions
To make dough: Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl of a food processor or mixer, and blend until well-mixed. With the mixer or processor going, drizzle in the oil and water, and mix until smooth. Check the consistency -- it should be very soft and smooth, but not too tacky. Add more water or flour if needed to achieve this consistency. Place the dough in a covered container so it doesn't dry out, and allow it to relax at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

To make filling: Heat the oil (or chicken fat) in a heavy pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until well-caramelized (aka just this side of burnt). This will take about 30 minutes. Turn the heat down if they're cooking too quickly.

While the onions are cooking, toss the potato chunks into a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until tender. Drain and set aside.

Place the caramelized onion, boiled potato and chicken in a food processor or meat grinder with a large-holed attachment. Process until everything is broken down into a rough purée. Mash the ground chicken and potatoes and onions together with your hands or a wooden spoon, seasoning to taste with the salt and pepper. Add broth if needed for moistness -- you want a consistency like a moist, spreadable pâté. Too much moisture will cause the filling to sog through the dough, so don't overdo it.

To assemble and cook kreplach, roll relaxed dough 1/8 inch thick on a floured countertop. With a 2-inch round biscuit cutter (or drinking glass), cut out as many circles as you can. Pull up the remaining dough scraps, and again knead into a ball (it's best to do this step now, so that the dough has a chance to relax before being rolled again). With a tiny ice cream scoop, or two spoons, place a scant tablespoon of filling onto each dough circle.

To form, fold the dough around the filling to make a half-circle (you can stretch it a bit as needed to ease the dough over the filling), and press the edges firmly to seal. Take the two corners and bring them together, pressing them between your thumb and forefinger to seal them, creating a tortellini shape.

Place shaped dumpling on a well-floured baking sheet. Roll out remaining dough scraps, and repeat the process.

When the kreplach are all shaped, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Throw in a dozen or so kreplach. They will sink to the bottom but then float to the top fairly quickly. Once they've all floated to the top, simmer for an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon, toss with a bit of vegetable oil, and spread on a baking sheet or plate. Repeat until all kreplach are cooked. If you'd like to freeze them for future use, place them in the freezer until par-frozen, then toss in a container or freezer bag for storage. If you'd like to eat them right away, simply add to hot soup and serve.