Berry Grunt Revisited

Some weeks ago, I posted an altered recipe for a Berry Grunt, which featured several different options. Lo and behold, Alton Brown, whose book I got the recipe from, decided to air the recipe on his show Good Eats. The recipe can be seen here.

And darn it, he made a few changes of his own.

So here it is again, with all the options there are between the different versions. Pick and choose according to your tastes, your cookware, and your willingness to use the oven or not.

Berry Grunt (Revisited)

Cooking Vessel:
10 inch cast iron skillet, or
Dutch oven

Berry filling:
19 oz. (4 cups) berries, frozen or fresh
1 cup water (although you may want to use a little less for frozen berries)
1 cup sugar
spices to taste. goes well with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, mace, etc.

Dough topping:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (regular works just fine)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

Heat the berry filling in your cooking vessel to a simmer. Cook over medium heat 15 mins. Meanwhile sift together the dry ingredients in the dough. Cut in the butter, chilled, and work with your hands until the butter pieces become pea-sized. Create a well in the middle and add the milk. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until it comes together. (Optional: put the dough on some wax or parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with flour, fold into a ball, and refrigerate until the filling is ready.)
Drop the dough by spoonful evenly over the top of the berry mixture.

Dumpling-style: Place a lid over the cooking vessel and cook over low heat, 15-20 mins or until the dough is cooked through. You'll get a dough much like chicken and dumplings... kind of airy, almost cakey.
Cobbler-style: Place the cooking vessel in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 mins or until the dough is golden brown on top. This produces a more cobbler/biscuit-type topping for your grunt.

Personally, I find the oven-baked version to produce better results, but the stovetop is just as good. Plus, the dessert keeps well in a airtight container, and reheats nicely in the microwave. (half power for about 2:30 usually does it for me) While all berries are good, I tried it with nothing but blueberries and found it to be best.

Thanks again to Alton Brown of 'Good Eats.'