Chicken and Dumplings Recipe | Food Diaries | Zarnak Sidhwa | Chinese Food

Method:

Heat oil and add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté the vegetables until they start to soften, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes, then add the thyme, bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Stir in the chicken, parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.To make the dumplings, mix both the flours, baking powder and salt. Stir the buttermilk, egg and parsley together in a second bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Using two spoons, drop balls of the dumpling dough into the simmering soup. Each dumpling should be about two teaspoons only, as they will expand a lot in the soup. Cover the pot and cook until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and black pepper.

METHOD:

To make the pastry, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in 1 egg until well combined. Fold in flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Divide mixture into 3, 1 smaller piece (enough to create a pastry border for cake pan) and 2 even pieces. Enclose separately in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. Roll out 1 larger pastry piece between 2 sheets of baking paper. Cut a circle from pastry, using cake pan as a guide. Line the base of a greased tin, then freeze for 20 minutes. Roll small pastry disc between 2 sheets of baking paper into a 3mm thick rectangle. Cut into strips wide enough to line side of pan. Roll out second larger pastry piece between 2 sheets of baking paper. Cut a circle from pastry, using your cake pan as a guide. Chill all pastry. Place cake pan with pastry base on a baking tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes or until base is golden. Remove from oven and cool completely. Reduce oven to 180°C. To make filling, beat ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla, coffee, 1 cup sugar and remaining 4 eggs. Line side of cake pan with the wide strips of pastry, gently pressing raw pastry onto top of cooked base (the pastry is soft, but will come together when cooked). Pour filling into pastry shell. Cut a 5cm slit in centre of second pastry round. Place pastry over filling (trim any excess pastry on the sides). Place cake on baking tray. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until pastry top is deep golden (it may crack a little but will settle when it cools). Cool completely in the oven, then chill for 6 hours to set. Combine extra teaspoon of coffee with icing sugar. Dust on top of cake to serve.