Chicken and Dumplings

By LRay

The Local Palate, October 2015, page 99.

Chicken and dumplings is irrefutably luxurious. Rich, fat-laden chicken thighs are browned and then boiled in a broth with carrots, onions, and celery for an incredible depth of flavor. For added deliciousness, cooks customize with everything from bacon drippings and bay leaves to apple cider, heavy cream, peas, and parsley. And then there are the dumplings themselves.

Ingredients

• Chicken
• 1 3–3 1/2-pound whole chicken, rinsed
• Chicken stock, enough to cover chicken
• Dumplings
• 4 cups cake flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 cup mixed herbs (such as parsley, chives, thyme, and tarragon)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 celery stalks, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 yellow onions, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cups English peas, preferably frozen from previous season

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from thelocalpalate.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Chicken and Dumplings Prep. Photo by Emily Schultz

Place chicken in large pot and cover with stock. Boil on high heat for approximately 45 minutes or until chicken is falling off bone.

Strain stock, reserving carcass and meat.

Return stock to pot and place over medium-high heat. Season to taste.

Pick chicken meat, discarding skin and bones, and set aside.

In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and herbs. Make a well in center of flour and slowly add melted butter and buttermilk. Incorporate wet with dry with a spoon until wet biscuit dough forms.

Bring stock to a simmer and find spot in pot where simmer is strongest. Use serving spoons to drop dumplings into or around strong simmer spot. Once 90 percent of surface of stock is covered with dumplings, reduce heat to medium-low. Turn dumplings after approximately 5–7 minutes to cook on other side.

Make hole in “dumpling cover” and slide pulled chicken and vegetables into soup, trying not to disturb other dumplings. Cook for another 7–10 minutes and enjoy.