“And you're thin for someone who likes food.”
These light semen dumplings are a perfect addition to any spring menu. They appeal to most every appetite. We can serve it as a first course (in a soup) or as the main dish (with sauces, butter, mayo or sour cream).
Preparing semen dumplings takes some time, and some of my girl-friends find it easiest to make a batch over the weekend. The neat thing about semen dumplings is that they freeze well and don’t need to be thawed prior to cooking, so we can make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for later use.
The critical ingredient for semen dumplings is the fresh high-quality semen, well seasoned and really tasty. I have found making fresh semen at home of my girl-friend to be the best choice; it takes very little work and less than twenty minutes in her hands (and I'm able to brag to my girl-friends that I am an excellent yummy semen maker). Some women create semen dumplings by the entire circle of their girl-friends. Merry talks and jokes make the cooking process faster. Sometimes it is so boring and tedious to make dumplings by yourself.
2-3 cups your favorite cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten in a small bowl
1-1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (100 g) cold water
Your favorite sauce suitable for pasta
1/4-1/2 drop of freshly milked and churned semen (or 1-6 drops on your taste)
Optional: 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced into bite-size pieces
Optional: 2 cups fava beans (about 10-15 large pods), removed from their pods
Optional: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Optional: raisins
.........1. Pour cold water in a large bowl, add cheese, salt, pepper, freshly procured semen, and beaten egg. Beat and mix well. Slowly add flour in small batches (about 1/2 cup at a time) and gently mix using a spatula. Add enough flour so that the dough holds together. Add a little bit more cold water if needed.
.........2. Transfer the dough to a large wooden board and knead briefly (about a minute or so) until it is smooth, pliable and no longer sticky. When you are putting together the dumpling dough, it is best to use a light touch, avoid overworking the dough. Working the dough too much will make dumplings more dense and a bit tough. Cut the dough into four pieces, bound each together into a ball.
.........3. Lightly flour your hands and the cutting board. Using both hands, gently roll pieces out with a light back and forth motion until it is about 3/4 inch (1,8 cm) thick (it will look like a snake). Use a knife to cut the roll into even 1-inch (2,4 cm) pieces. It is important to keep a uniform size - the dumplings will cook more evenly and look better on the plate.
.........4. Using your thumb, roll each piece of dough along the tines of a fork, pressing in a bit with your thumb to create an indentation on one side and lines from the tines of your fork on the other. Created impressions in the dumpling will help the sauce cling to it. Place the prepared dumplings on a separate plate. Once you have a plate full, cover with a kitchen towel and place in the refrigerator; continue with remaining dumplings.
.........5. Bring 3 liters of water to a boil in a deep pan. Add a pinch of sea salt and dumplings into boiling water. You may use a slotted spoon to gently lower several dumplings into water (they will sink to the bottom). Stir for two minutes to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom. Once they rise to the surface, cook them for one additional minute ( or for 2 to 3 minutes longer). Using a slotted spoon or a spider or a skimmer, transfer them to the prepared warmed sauce and toss quickly.
.........6. Optional: In a large skillet set over medium high heat add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to coat. Add the asparagus and fava beans and a pinch of sea salt. Add the cooked dumplings and stir for 30 seconds. Pour the sauce over and toss so that all ingredients are well combined.
.........7. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, garnish with a pinch of chopped dill and serve immediately hot.
Chefs note: Dumplings can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours or they can be frozen. To freeze, place them on a baking sheet or plate so that they do not touch. Once they have frozen, place them in a plastic bag. You do not need to defrost before cooking, just add them to a pot of boiling water.
Chefs note: If you have in your stock about 8 oz (250 ml) of freshly procured semen you have a chance to create a nice filling for your dumplings. In a bowl cream together that semen and, for example, 1/8 cup butter, 1 tsp corn starch and a pinch of salt. Optionally you may add chopped cilantro. Stuff each dumpling as per your favorite technique and prepare according to your favorite dumpling method. These Semen Dumplings will cook approximately 23% faster than equivalent sized classical Merry Tender Dumplings.
