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Howdy, Friends!
I realize it's been a long time but I promise you, it is worth the wait!
I must apologize to start with as there are no pictures for this time. Last nights meal was an experiment and I only thought of the camera now as I'm reporting to you. But close your eyes and try to imagine this,... Corn meal dumplings, like your Granny use to make. Remember those Sunday dinners when you all gather at the table and there was that one big boiler set right in the middle? And it smelled so good?
I cleaned a couple of raccoons, fresh off my trap line. I took the front legs and the lower part of the hind legs, stripped most of the fat off and put them in my big boiler. I brought that to a boil and let them cook in a rolling boil for about and hour. I added a little garlic, just a touch of pepper and some meat tenderizer and let it boil. Then I mixed up 2 parts corn meal to 1 part flour, added salt and water. Not too much water! We want a thick glob. Not a runny batter. Then I separated it into patties about 2 inches across and maybe 5/8 inch thick. Much thinner and they wont hold together. Any thicker and they may not cook through.
After my meat had boiled for a good hour or more, I gently laid the corn meal patties in random around the boiler so as not to have any sticking together. Then I covered it and let it boil for another hour, checking occasionally to make sure my patties weren't sticking together.
Oh! The house smelled so good with the aroma wafting from the stove top! I waited impatiently as my mouth started to water and my stomach growled with anticipation. Finally, my wife and son came home from AWANA's and were ready to eat. It had been better than 2 hours since I started this process and I was ready to sit down try it.
"Thank you Jesus for this day and this wonderful food, Amen!", my son does that part.
The first bite of dumpling threw my mind back to my child hood when Momma made such delicious chicken and dumplings and Sunday dinner was a treat that we looked forward to all week. Except, this time something was different. There was such a unique taste that was so different from those early years of chicken. I like it!
Back to the pot, I fished around until I came up with a big ole chunk of meat and dropped it onto the plate. Then another, just to be sure.
Leg bone stuck out from either side of the tempting morsel. Just enough to grab with your finger tips. I bit into it and it simply melted in my mouth! Flavor exploding from it and trying to escape from the corner of my mouth! Wow! I'm not saying that it was the very best I've ever tried but it'll make you throw rocks at chicken!
I went back to the pot a couple more times afterwards. When it was all over, I had to stretch out in my recliner and pat my belly for another hour or so!
Chicken and dumplings,.... You have met your match!
Well, I hope y'all have enjoyed this visit into Muddawgs Kitchen and I certainly hope that you will try this in your own kitchen sometime. And please do join us for the next exiting and mouth watering edition of "Cooking With Muddawg". Next, we may even tackle "Possum Pastry"!
I realize it's been a long time but I promise you, it is worth the wait!
I must apologize to start with as there are no pictures for this time. Last nights meal was an experiment and I only thought of the camera now as I'm reporting to you. But close your eyes and try to imagine this,... Corn meal dumplings, like your Granny use to make. Remember those Sunday dinners when you all gather at the table and there was that one big boiler set right in the middle? And it smelled so good?
I cleaned a couple of raccoons, fresh off my trap line. I took the front legs and the lower part of the hind legs, stripped most of the fat off and put them in my big boiler. I brought that to a boil and let them cook in a rolling boil for about and hour. I added a little garlic, just a touch of pepper and some meat tenderizer and let it boil. Then I mixed up 2 parts corn meal to 1 part flour, added salt and water. Not too much water! We want a thick glob. Not a runny batter. Then I separated it into patties about 2 inches across and maybe 5/8 inch thick. Much thinner and they wont hold together. Any thicker and they may not cook through.
After my meat had boiled for a good hour or more, I gently laid the corn meal patties in random around the boiler so as not to have any sticking together. Then I covered it and let it boil for another hour, checking occasionally to make sure my patties weren't sticking together.
Oh! The house smelled so good with the aroma wafting from the stove top! I waited impatiently as my mouth started to water and my stomach growled with anticipation. Finally, my wife and son came home from AWANA's and were ready to eat. It had been better than 2 hours since I started this process and I was ready to sit down try it.
"Thank you Jesus for this day and this wonderful food, Amen!", my son does that part.
The first bite of dumpling threw my mind back to my child hood when Momma made such delicious chicken and dumplings and Sunday dinner was a treat that we looked forward to all week. Except, this time something was different. There was such a unique taste that was so different from those early years of chicken. I like it!
Back to the pot, I fished around until I came up with a big ole chunk of meat and dropped it onto the plate. Then another, just to be sure.
Leg bone stuck out from either side of the tempting morsel. Just enough to grab with your finger tips. I bit into it and it simply melted in my mouth! Flavor exploding from it and trying to escape from the corner of my mouth! Wow! I'm not saying that it was the very best I've ever tried but it'll make you throw rocks at chicken!
I went back to the pot a couple more times afterwards. When it was all over, I had to stretch out in my recliner and pat my belly for another hour or so!
Chicken and dumplings,.... You have met your match!
Well, I hope y'all have enjoyed this visit into Muddawgs Kitchen and I certainly hope that you will try this in your own kitchen sometime. And please do join us for the next exiting and mouth watering edition of "Cooking With Muddawg". Next, we may even tackle "Possum Pastry"!