I don’t like cooking dumplings on top of a stew. There never seems to be enough room for them to expand, so I cook them separately. While salted water will do, they will have much more flavor if you cook them in a stock that matches the meat they accompany. You can also add fresh herbs like thyme and parsley if serving them with a classic beef stew.

This recipe can be doubled if you like dumplings, but you might need to add an extra tablespoon of cold water to the dough to achieve the right consistency. These dumplings are also delicious, and very light, when made with finely grated suet instead of bone marrow.

Steps

1. Drain and finely chop the bone marrow and set aside.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the bone marrow, breadcrumbs, shallot, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Whisk the egg and stir it into the flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Set aside.
3. In a wide saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Add the dumplings, lower the heat so the stock simmers, cover the pan, and cook gently until the dumplings have doubled in size and are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove the dumplings from the liquid with a slotted spoon and serve in a soup or stew, with a roast, or alongside cooked vegetables.