Chicken and Dumplings is a southern comfort dish and my absolute favorite, especially during autumn and winter's cold months. It's not quite Spring, so this is still a perfect warm dinner. This is a version of my grandmother's recipe. I remember her making this for lunch for my sister and me.
I updated it by taking most of the skin off the meat before cooking and meat off of the bones after cooking. My grandmother (Anna Louise) used only drumsticks and thighs, with the skin on.
If you prefer all dark meat, use 7 to 8 thighs and drumsticks. You can also use a combination of both white and dark meat.
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken stock or broth
3 large bone-in, chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.) 2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed or ½ t dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large Dutch oven, bring chicken stock or broth to a low boil.
Add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, and thyme,
Reduce heat, partially cover, and slowly simmer 45 minutes.
Remove chicken to a bowl or platter and let cool.
Remove bay leaves and discard.
Skim off any foam and discard.
To the broth add:
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 stalks of celery, cut in half lengthwise and diced
½ t sea salt
½ t fine ground black pepper
Simmer, partially covered for another 10 minutes.
When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin from chicken, pull meat from bones and tear into bite-size chunks.
Return chicken pieces to pot.
Herbed Dumplings
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking powder
½ t sea salt
½ t fine ground black pepper
2 T minced parsley
1 t minced chives
1 cup whole or 2% milk
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
Gently mix in the milk.
Drop mounds with a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop into the simmering broth with chicken pieces.
Cover tightly and slowly simmer 15 minutes.
Ladle into bowls with a few dumplings on top and garnish with some minced parsley.
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