Beef Soup with Semolina Dumplings

Directions

1. Beef Stock
2. Peel onion and cut in half. Place on a stove burner cut side down and brown on medium-high heat until almost charred. Turn over and at this point turn the burner off. Note: For gas stoves place the onion in an ungreased frying pan and increase the heat to high. You’ll need to clean the pan or the burner afterwards but you won’t need much elbow grease. The fragrance and the flavor alone are worth the effort. Add onion and the rest of ingredients, except cauliflower and salt, to a large stock pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for couple of hours or until meat is tender. Liquid will be somewhat reduced – do not add more water.
3. Strain the stock into a smaller pot, add cauliflower florets and salt. Keep the heat on low and simmer while making dumplings. Do not make them ahead of time or they will dry out.

1. Semolina Dumplings
2. In a small bowl, mix butter and egg with a fork. Combine flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture. The mixture will be soft. Add cream of wheat and mix until combined. This will only take seconds. The mixture will be dense but pliable. I form dumplings by scooping out the mixture with a melon baller tool which makes perfect round dumplings (it is not exclusive to scooping melons). If you prefer almond shape that restaurant chefs are so good at making, form them with two teaspoons. Do not compress the mixture or your dumplings will be too hard. Note: Dumplings will triple in size, so do not use large scoopers or spoons.
3. Drop the dumplings into simmering soup. Return strained whole or chopped carrots and beef to the soup (or leave the meat out and eat it with prepared horseradish sauce, yum). Dumplings are cooked when they float back to the surface, probably after 5-7 minutes.