There once was a lovely dumpling

Found the world over, dumplings come in all shapes and sizes, prepared and cooked in countless ways. But whatever the style, at their core, dumplings are a comfort food. They're typically rustic and inexpensive to make and, for many, the handmade creations hark back to childhood and a grounding sense of home.

Though they often are considered winter fare, best served with a robust stew or hearty roast, dumplings can work equally well with light, fresh spring meals. If anything, this is the best time to show off what dumplings have to offer.

In terms of sheer lightness of texture, nothing beats the ethereal quenelle. It's the quintessential French dumpling, classically made with ground fish or meat bound with eggs, fat, and a flour-based paste (panada or panade). Quenelles are molded into a small oval or cylinder and poached just until they puff to a delicate firmness. It's a self-contained soufflé of sorts, and tasting one is like biting into a seductively flavored cloud.

Instead of meat or fish, form the base around something intense and earthy, like mushrooms. Saute finely diced mushrooms with a little shallot and white wine until they've surrendered every last bit of moisture and turned a rich, deep brown; this concentrates their flavor and makes them easier to bind into the dumplings.

Form and poach the quenelles, then chill; do this a couple of days in advance if you like (perfect if you're planning for company).

Pair the quenelles with a light stew of tender spring vegetables: favas, asparagus tips, richly colored baby artichokes - whatever inspires you. Blanch and chill the vegetables ahead of time to keep things easy. Just before you're ready to serve, quickly warm the vegetables and quenelles in a rich bath of wine and vegetable broth, then add a little butter to thicken the broth to a sauce.

The dish makes for a dramatic presentation: the bright crunch of vividly colored vegetables against the pillowy quenelles, married with a light drizzle of velvety sauce.

If quenelles seem a bit fancy, try something a little more rustic but equally magical. If there's one dish that's comforting any time of the year, it's chicken and dumplings.

The key to the dish is a broth that is rich and flavorful. Cut up a whole chicken, then season and brown the pieces in a large pot. Add an ample amount of finely chopped vegetables (cut them small, as the broth won't cook too long and you want them to release maximum flavor). Gently simmer everything until the chicken is tender and the broth is intensely flavored. Shred the chicken and strain the broth; because it's so rich, there's no need to thicken it.

For the dumplings, use a tender batter made with just enough baking powder to lighten the texture. And for a twist, add a little cornmeal. Start by moistening the cornmeal with a little boiling water - it's an old trick that softens the cornmeal and eliminates the bitter notes from the ground corn. Then make the batter, folding in a little lemon juice (the acidity will brighten the flavors) and a small handful of chopped fresh herbs at the end.

Poach the dumplings in the rich broth just before serving by dropping small spoonfuls into gently simmering broth. Cover the pot and keep the broth at a gentle heat; anything higher than a gentle simmer will toughen the center of the dumplings while causing them to break apart at the edges.

Serve the dumplings in large bowls with the broth and shredded chicken. Simple, yes, but deep with layered flavors and color. And it's even better the next day.

As I mentioned earlier, there's a wide world of dumplings out there, and while poaching or steaming might be the most popular cooking methods, they are by no means the only ones. There are baked and even fried varieties, methods that can add extra flavor and texture.

No meal is complete without dessert, and nothing heralds spring quite like the lush, vibrant red of sweet strawberries. They're the perfect complement to spring dessert dumplings.

Start by combining a few pounds of strawberries with just a little sugar, some vanilla, and a touch of amaretto (the almond flavor provides a nice foil for the sweet-bright notes of the strawberries). Smooth the mixture in a large baking dish, then make the dumplings using a slightly soft buttermilk biscuit-type dough. Fold in some sliced almonds at the end for crunch, then spoon the dollops over the strawberries, one for each serving, and bake.

The dessert is ready when the dumplings are puffed and golden brown at the edges, and the strawberries are bubbling and have perfumed the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. You might say cobbler, but I say strawberry dumplings. Either way, serve the dessert warm, with a simple dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

The dumplings are tender and slightly tart from the buttermilk and speckled with bits of sliced almonds. And while the strawberries are moist and syrupy, the large pieces are not entirely broken down, and keep some of their shape and texture. It's an almost heavenly combination.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

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3 pounds strawberries

1/2 cup sugar plus 3

tablespoons sugar, divided

1 vanilla bean, seeded

4 teaspoons amaretto

11/2 cups (6.4 ounces) flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

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1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Hull the strawberries. Cut the strawberries, keeping the pieces large (leave the small strawberries whole, halve the mediums, and quarter the large). Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 cup sugar, the vanilla seeds, and amaretto, making sure the vanilla and amaretto are evenly distributed.

3. Pour the strawberry mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the butter is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Pour in the buttermilk, and stir until the mixture is combined to form a thick, sticky batter. Gently stir in the almonds to combine.

5. Scoop the batter into 8 to 10 portions, using a large soup spoon or small serving spoon. Space the dumplings evenly over the strawberries. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the dumplings have risen and are golden brown and the strawberries are softened and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the dumplings should come out clean.

6. Remove and cool slightly on a rack. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Per serving:

257 calories; 4 grams protein; 41 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 19 mg. cholesterol; 22 grams sugar; 236 mg. sodium.

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Makes 6 servings

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1 (5-pound) chicken

Salt

Pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups diced onion

1 cup diced carrots, about 2 medium carrots

1 cup diced celery

1/4 cup thinly sliced leek, cleaned, sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch strips, white and light green parts only

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cloves garlic, smashed

3 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

10 cups water, plus 1/3 cup boiling water, divided

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 cup (4.25 ounces) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1/4 cup milk, divided

11/2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as tarragon, chives, thyme, and parsley)

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1. Cut up the chicken: Remove the giblets, saving the neck (discard the remaining giblets, or save for another use). Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut along the back of the chicken, removing the backbone. Cut or break the backbone into thirds (this will help to flavor and thicken the broth). With a sturdy French knife or cleaver, halve the chicken lengthwise down the breast. Cut each chicken half into 4 pieces, separating the leg and thigh, and halving the breast crosswise (the wing can remain attached to the breast or be separated). Sprinkle the chicken pieces (including the neck and back) with 11/2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of pepper, evenly seasoning the pieces.

2. Heat a large, sturdy stockpot over high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and enough chicken to fit comfortably in a single layer. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 15 minutes (this will probably need to be done in 2 batches). Remove the chicken to a bowl and repeat until all the chicken is browned.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-high. To the fat in the pot, add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and leek, cooking until the vegetables just begin to color, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in the white wine and cook, scraping any flavoring from the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until the wine is almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the garlic, 3 sprigs parsley, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot, and add back the chicken.

6. Pour in 10 cups water (this should more than cover the chicken), loosely cover the pot, and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, loosely covered, until the chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Periodically skim the fat that collects on the surface of the broth as the chicken cooks.

7. When the chicken is tender, remove the pieces to a large plate or baking dish until cool enough to handle. Strain the chicken broth into a separate 3-quart pot, discarding the vegetables and herbs. You should have about 10 cups of broth. Skim any remaining fat from the broth, and season to taste.

8. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces and peel the meat from the bones. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces; you should have about 6 cups of chicken. Place the meat in a bowl and set aside while you make the dumpling batter.

9. To make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal and one-third cup boiling water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the mixture cools, about 15 minutes. Stir in the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and the baking powder, breaking up any cornmeal clumps with your fingers.

10. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoons milk. Pour the milk mixture into the medium bowl, and drizzle in the lemon juice. Stir to combine, then gently fold in the herbs until evenly distributed. This should form a thick batter (with the consistency of thick cement, sticky yet spoonable). Add more milk if needed to thin the batter, 1 tablespoon at a time. (You may not use all of the milk.)

11. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer on the stove. Spoon 1-inch balls of the batter (the dumplings will expand as they cook) into the simmering broth; this makes about 20 dumplings. The dumplings will sink at first but will soon float; continue to simmer, loosely covered, until they are just cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the dumplings onto a large plate or baking dish.

12. Add the shredded chicken back to the broth. Serve immediately, adding dumplings to each serving.

Per serving: 688 calories; 55 grams protein; 36 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 234 mg. cholesterol; 5 grams sugar; 940 mg. sodium.

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