Traditional Blueberry Grunt
This traditional recipe for Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt is made with fresh blueberries and topped with tender biscuit dough.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 392kcal
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid
Ingredients
- 4 cups blueberries wild preferred, fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Dumpling Dough
- 2 cups flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter cold and cubed (or lard)
- ¾-1 cup cold milk
Instructions
- Add the blueberries, ground cinnamon (if using), granulated sugar, and water to a saucepan with a lid or a dutch oven.
- Bring the mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
- Once the blueberries have released much of their juices, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and sugar into a large bowl. Add the cold butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (with butter pieces pea-sized).
- Add in a small amount of milk and mix to combine. Keep adding a small amount of milk until the mixture comes together into a soft and sticky dumpling dough that can be easily scooped.
- Drop the batter on top of the simmering blueberries using a heaping tablespoon, distributing the dough evenly over the surface.
- Place the lid on your saucepan (or dutch oven) and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Once the time is up, lift the lid to check and see that the dough is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with a generous dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
*The dumplings are colored blue by the bubbling blueberry juice. Lowering the heat will likely reduce this, although it doesn't impact the flavor.
Slow cooker: Cook the blueberries with ½ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar, and cinnamon for 2-3 hours on high. Drop in the dumpling dough and cook with the lid on for 30-60 minutes, or until cooked through (minimum internal temperature of 210ºF/99ºC).
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container (glass if possible - to help with staining) for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 45-second intervals, or on the stove top with a little water added to the pot.
Nutrition
Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 340IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 2mg