05 Aug 2011 No Comments
Blueberry Grunt…with a twist! (OR) How I Learned I Can’t Make Dumplings and Stopped Worrying
We’re in the process 
of moving, and being that I like to have all my ducks in a row early on, most things are packed and moved to the house even though we don’t officially move in until the end of the month. This hadn’t yet proven to be a problem until this evening when I decided I needed to bake something and realized I’d sent all my cake and muffin pans packing! What to do? I saw it as the perfect opportunity to break out one of my mother’s classic Nova Scotian recipes, none other than Blueberry Grunt. Martha Stewart makes hers in a skillet, so I decided to forgo my mother’s classic stock pot method and try it out. Here is the recipe I started with and the additions that I made –
Blueberry Grunt
Sauce
4 c fresh blueberries (I used a mix of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)
½ c sugar
2/3 c water (I substituted 1/3 c of water with 1/3 c of Campari)
Dumplings, or as Dave likes to call them, “the grunt”
2 c flour (I used whole wheat)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
2/3 c milk
(To the dumplings I added ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp nutmeg)
Vanilla ice cream/whipped cream to garnish
Wash berries, combine with sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until soft and thick, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter, stir in enough milk to make soft dough. Drop the batter by tablespoons on top of simmering sauce, cover saucepan and cook over medium heat, 15-18 minutes.
What Worked…
The addition of Campari to the sauce was LOVELY. It added this nice sharp note that resonated with each berry bite. Yum!
What Didn’t…
Where I went wrong – I should have added 1 cup of milk to the dumpling recipe, but instead aired on the side of caution and went with 2/3 cup. The dumplings were dense and didn’t puff up the way I like. I also used skim milk because it’s all I had in the fridge, but would have preferred buttermilk. 
Next time I think I’ll heed the sage advice ‘don’t mess with a good thing’ and make the blueberry grunt the way my mother did. I might still throw a splash of Campari into the mix and see if anyone notices.
All in all, my mixed berry grunt didn’t quite satisfy the sweet craving I was having, but lucky for me, Dee Dee’s is just down the street!
Cheers,
Kristin
My name is Kristin and I've lived my entire life in Nova Scotia. I love to eat, especially when the food is local, organic and fresh. I believe that here on the East coast of Canada we have a multitude of delicious ingredients at our fingertips, and world-class chefs making incredible dishes with them, drawing from both local and international inspiration. That said, I like unpretentious eating that makes you lick your fingers and loosen your belt because that's the kind of food that makes me feel good. If you've got delicious eats, paired with a great Canadian craft beer and some good company then I'm there.