Growing up in an old school Mennonite home with a foster mother who knew very little English meant that we were told a lot of wrong information. With no internet to confirm or deny what we were told, we had no choice but to believe what my foster mother told us. Whether it was being sent to school to let the teacher know that the earth was in fact flat and not round, or that the sun revolved around the earth and that the moon stood still, she was our parent and we believed everything she told us. But it wasn’t just school facts that she got wrong. We were also told that foods that she would make for us were called different things. For instance, we grew up eating ‘bubbat balls’. And I loved them! They were one of my favorite things to eat as a kid, and my foster mother wouldn’t make it that often which made it even more of a treat. We always called this dish ‘bubbat balls’ and no one ever corrected us.
One day, my girlfriend-at-the-time’s mother invited me over for supper. I agreed, and she asked what my favorite dish was so that she could make it for me. I told her it was ‘bubbat balls’ and asked her if she had ever had that (as she was from a Mennonite background as well). She looked confused, so I explained to her that it was ‘like a chicken stew with ‘bubbat balls’ in it’. She said she knew exactly what I was talking about. I was super pumped for supper that weekend. When I got to her house and sat down for supper, what I saw in my plate was not what I had expected. Instead, I had a plate of biscuits in chicken stew. Although it was delicious, it definitely was not what we referred to as ‘bubbat balls’.
Now, I was 15, young and stupid, really nervous and was having bad anxiety over going to my girlfriends house for supper for the first time. So my buddy told me what better way to calm my nerves than to smoke a joint with him before going. Bad idea. Although my anxiety was gone, my mouth was so dry that I could hardly get the dry biscuits down. I tried to drink the stew to wash them down but it just wasn’t working. So I started to drink water. And I drank so much water that her mom kept asking me if I was ok. I don’t quite remember how I responded, but I do believe I left a bad first impression. We broke up shortly after.
I found out years later that the ‘bubbat balls’ that we had been eating our whole childhood, was actually just chicken and dumplings. Maybe members of my family knew, but no one told me. I have met a few Mennonites that refer to dumplings as ‘bubbat balls’, but from my understanding, ‘bubbat’ for most Mennonites is more like a cake.
*Disclaimer: I do NOT condone the use of drugs, even if meeting your girlfriends/boyfriends parents gives you anxiety.
I forgot to take a picture of the stew ingredients, but you will need: a whole chicken (I used 3 chicken legs because I got a great deal on Granny’s chicken legs), 1 onion, chopped, 4 stalks of celery, chopped, water, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, salt to taste and corn starch or flour to thicken the broth.
For the dumplings, you will need: 5-6 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 eggs and 2 cups of milk.
For the stew, fill a soup pot up with water about 3 inches below the top. Add the chicken (whole or legs) and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add the chopped up onion and peppercorns (I put my peppercorns in a diffuser so I don’t have to pick them out later). Cover the pot partially with the lid, and continue to boil on medium for 2 hours.
While the stew is boiling, make your dumplings.
Add 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 eggs and 2 cups of milk and mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Continue to add flour until the dough is soft, but firm and slightly sticky.
Cover the dough and put aside until the stew is ready.
Back to the stew. After 2 hours, remove the chicken and debone it, putting the meat aside to add to the stew later. Add salt to taste. Continue to boil the broth for another hour.
Roll the dumpling dough into long ropes about 3/4 inch thick, and cut into 3/4 inch sections.
Add the chopped celery, and dumpling dough to the stew. If you would like a stronger chicken flavor, add some chicken bouillon. Mix corn starch or flour in a container with water and add it to the broth to thicken it. Cook on medium-high for about 20 minutes. Add the deboned chicken back into the stew.
Serve and enjoy!
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- 1 Whole Chicken (I used 3 chicken legs)
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 4 Stalks of Celery, chopped
- Water
- 1 teaspoon of Peppercorns
- Salt to taste
- Corn Starch or Flour to thicken the broth.
- 5-6 cups of Flour
- 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon of Salt
- 4 Eggs
- 2 cups of Milk.
- Fill a soup pot up with water about 3 inches below the top. Add the chicken (whole or legs) and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add the chopped up onion and peppercorns (I put my peppercorns in a diffuser so I don't have to pick them out later). Cover the pot partially with the lid, and continue to boil on medium for 2 hours.
- While the stew is boiling, make your dumplings.
- Add 4 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 eggs and 2 cups of milk and mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Continue to add flour until the dough is soft, but firm and slightly sticky.
- Cover the dough and put aside until the stew is ready.
- Back to the stew. After 2 hours, remove the chicken and debone it, putting the meat aside to add to the stew later. Add salt to taste. Continue boiling for another hour.
- Roll the dumpling dough into long ropes about 3/4 inch thick, and cut into 3/4 inch sections.
- Add the chopped celery, and dumpling dough to the stew. If you would like a stronger chicken flavor, add some chicken bouillon. Mix corn starch or flour in a container with water and add it to the broth to thicken it. Cook on medium-high for about 20 minutes. Add the deboned chicken back into the stew.
- Serve and enjoy!
In our family bubbat was both dumplings and a cake like dish that has raisins and topped with pieces of farmer sausage