Jamaican Spinners Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my dumplings hard and not fluffy? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

A teaspoon of sugar adds an extremely subtle hint of sweetness. It also helps the dumplings retain their moisture through the cooking process and slows gluten development, which ensures tender dumplings. A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

Dumplings of any kind are made with flour and water (or milk) and are relatively easy to make.

All-purpose flour: You can thicken sauces with all-purpose wheat flour. For every tablespoon of cornstarch, use three tablespoons of flour. Combine raw flour with cold water in a small bowl to form a paste, then add it into the sauce as it's simmering.

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

It's best to have your lid ready: Immediately add about 3 tablespoons of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. Lift the lid and allow the dumpling to cook for another 30 seconds, to allow the bottoms to get extra crispy.

Adding cold water to the dumplings to not over boil them too quickly, making sure to get all of the dough thoroughly cooked is a definite pro tip.

Instead of steaming these dumplings in water, we simmer them in a vinegary cornstarch and flour slurry that creates a lacy, crunchy golden crust as the water evaporates and the dumplings brown.

Dumplings are made from a simple dough consisting of all-purpose flour, water, and salt. The shaped dumplings are either fried in a pan until golden brown or boiled in a soup.

Plain flour.

You don't need speciality dumpling flour to make these wrappers – regular plain, all-purpose flour is absolutely fine. You could also use bread flour if you have it.

Is hot water or cold water better for dumpling dough? ›

Hot water partially inhibits gluten development by denaturing the proteins in flour. It also cooks (or gelatinizes) the starch. The result is the dough that has more water content but not as elastic as cold water dough. The higher water content helps dumpling skins remain tender after being cooked.

Here's how you can tell whether your chicken and dumpling soup is done and ready to eat. If the biscuit pieces feel gooey or mushy, they are not thoroughly cooked—give them more time to simmer in the rapidly boiling liquid until perfectly pillowy and fluffy.

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Chicken & Dumpling Recipe FAQ

You can thicken this dish by adding more flour, or even cornstarch. Create a slurry with either of these ingredients and milk or water, then stir into your broth base until you get your desired consistency.

If enough starch makes it to the bottom of the pan, as the water continues to evaporate, you eventually end up with a very concentrated starch slurry that forms a thin, thin coating on the bottom of the skillet. This slurry will brown and crisp—just like a pancake or a crêpe.

As you fold your dumplings, keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel. This prevents the dumplings from drying out (dry skins can split when cooked). Making fresh dumpling wrappers isn't hard when you have Hetty McKinnon to guide you. (But we won't tell if you use store-bought.)

To achieve the desired chewiness, the main ingredient at play is gluten—the protein responsible for creating elasticity in dough. In Northern Chinese dumplings, the predominant use of wheat flour ensures a higher gluten content, imparting a hearty and chewy texture to the wrappers.

Overcooked dumplings will start to fall apart and disintegrate in the broth, so don't walk away from the stove.