Sausage And Greens Soup With Cornmeal Dumplings For Zora Neale Hurston - cornmeal

Method

• Put a saucepan of water on to boil, at least 3.5 quarts in size to give dumplings room to puff up.
• Mix the sugar, flour and cornmeal together (if not using self-rising flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt).
• Work the butter into the dough with your fingers. Add buttermilk, stir to incorporate, and let rest for 5 minutes.
• You'll have a very soft, light dough. Working with wet hands, form it into small balls, around the size of a marble.
• Reduce the water to a gentle boil and add dumplings. Cook until they float and are cooked through, around 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• For the soup: Pour the olive oil or bacon grease on the bottom of your soup pot, and heat to medium high. Add the sausage, flattening it with a fork into a rough layer, and salt liberally. Fry till brown and crusty, then flip, salt, and fry again.
• When the sausage is cooked, break it into bite-sized chunks with a spatula.
• Turn down the heat, add the garlic and toss, frying until the garlic is softened, and stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.
• Add the bay leaf, carrot, chopped tomatoes with their liquid, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer till the vegetables are soft.
• Add the greens and simmer until just softened but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Gently add the dumplings and simmer till heated through.