Apple Sausage Gravy Dumplings

Instructions

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1. 1 Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage. Cook and stir, breaking up chunks with a spatula, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes.
2. 2 Reduce heat to medium, add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until onions start to turn soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. 3 Stir in butter, and once melted, add flour. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add diced apple, and cook, stirring for another minute or so.
4. 4 Pour in chicken broth, raise heat to high, and stir with a spoon, scraping up all the browned bits (fond) from the bottom. Add milk and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to between medium and medium-low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. For thicker gravy, mixture can be reduced further. Reduce heat to medium-low and prepare dumpling batter.
5. 5 Combine egg, cider, creme fraiche, thyme, 2 tablespoons green onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add 1 cup flour and whisk just until flour disappears. Clean off whisk with a spatula, and scrape down the sides of the bowl, mixing in any visible flour. Set batter aside until needed.
6. 6 Stir gravy and taste for seasoning—add more salt if needed, plus freshly ground black pepper, cayenne, 1/4 cup green onions, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
7. 7 Raise heat to medium, and transfer generous, rounded teaspoons of dumpling batter on top of the simmering gravy.
8. 8 Cover, and let cook, untouched, until dumplings are puffed up, and floating on top, 5 to 6 minutes. A skewer inserted into the center of a dumpling should come out clean. Serve immediately topped with additional green onions if desired.