Chicken and Dumplings - the traditional southern preparation with rolled, not dropped, dumplings. Almost as good for a cold as chicken soup!
This is one of BeeBop's all-time favorite dishes and one of mine, too. Chicken and Dumplings brings up all kinds of good memories from childhood.
I really don't know anyone who doesn't remember their mama making chicken and dumplings. Just mention it and people get this wistful, longing look like they're going back in time in their minds.
I only make this about twice a year and I don't really know why. It's so easy to do. Even easier if you do the chicken one day, refrigerate it and then finish it up the next day.
Back in the day, this was an inexpensive meal that could feed a large family, especially if you had your own chickens. It's still inexpensive and I've never met anyone who didn't like it. BeeBop's brother, Uncle J, really enjoys chicken and dumplings, too. So we had him and our two beautiful nieces over to share this big ole pot of goodness with us.
That was three adult good-eaters and two children and we still had leftovers for two more meals. That's what I call thrifty!
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
You know what? I had a really pretty picture of the chicken, celery, onion, etc in the pot ready to boil and I have no idea where that picture went. I'm sometimes a little too vigilant about keeping my photos and memory cards organized. Anyway, just imagine that there's a nice photo right here showing everything in the pot ready to boil. Okay!
Prepare the Chicken and Broth
Trim and cut the celery ribs in half. Peel the onion and leave it whole. Place the chicken, celery, onion, and peppercorns in a very large pot and add water to barely cover the chicken. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook about 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken from the broth and store it in the refrigerator. Remove the celery, onion, and peppercorns from the broth. Store the broth in a separate container in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. The recipe may be made up to this point and held for several days before proceeding.
Remove all the skin and bones from the chicken and set it aside.
See the top panel? That's what the chicken broth looks like after it's been in the refrigerator and the fat has risen to the top. Skim the solidified fat from the broth and put it in a small saucepan over low heat to melt.
Place the broth, reserved chicken and parsley in a very large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Taste for salt and add up to a tablespoon if needed.
I used dried parsley this time because that's all I had on hand. My preference is to use fresh flat-leaf parsley and would use at least a quarter of a cup of finely minced flat-leaf parsley in this. I know the parsley is not traditional in southern chicken and dumplings, but I like the little bit of color it gives to an otherwise very pale dish. It also adds a little to the taste.
Make the Dumplings
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and melted chicken fat. Gradually add milk until the dough reaches a good consistency for rolling. The dough should be slightly less firm than a pie crust. If the dough seems too wet add a little flour. If too thick, add a little more milk.
Roll and Cut the Dumplings
Now, this where our ideas about chicken and dumplings might diverge somewhat. In the part of the south where I grew up, the dumplings were always, ALWAYS, rolled and cut into strips. They even sell the rolled dumpling strips in the freezer section of the grocery stores in the south, though they're not very good.
I know in other areas it's typical that they are dropped by little spoonfuls into the boiling broth. I never even knew there was such a thing as dropped dumplings until I was grown. Really. I've had both and I prefer the rolled type.
On a well-floured surface, working with half of the dough at a time, roll the dumplings out as you would a pie crust. Cut into long strips or squares as you prefer. I use a pizza cutter to make quick work of the cutting.
Drop the dumplings individually into gently boiling chicken stock. Continue until all the dough is used.
Cook approximately 20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Stir several times while cooking to keep the dumplings separated, but be careful not to break the dumplings when you stir.
I usually serve these with some fresh green beans on the side. Green peas would also be good. And why not have a peach cobbler for dessert?
Enjoy!
More Chicken Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:
Chicken and Dumplings Recipes from Other Bloggers:
- Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings from Spend with Pennies
- Best Homemade Chicken and Dumplings from The Novice Chef
- Chicken and Dumplings from Two Peas and Their Pod
- Ginger Scallion Chicken and Dumplings from My Name is Yeh
- Chinese Chicken Dumplings from Rasa Malaysia
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Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 fryer about 3.5 pounds
- 2 ribs celery
- 1 onion
- 8-10 peppercorns
- Water
- 2 tblsp. parsley
- Salt
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- Fat off of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup or more milk
Instructions
- Trim and cut the celery ribs in half. Peel the onion and leave whole. Place the chicken, celery, onion and peppercorns in a very large pot. Add water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook about 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken from broth and store in refrigerator. Remove the celery, onion and peppercorns from the broth. Store the broth in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. The recipe may be made up to this point and held for several days before proceeding.
- Remove all skin and bones from the chicken and put aside. Skim the solidified fat from the broth and put in a small saucepan over low heat to melt. Place the broth, reserved chicken and parsley in a very large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Taste for salt and add up to a tablespoon if needed.
Make the dumplings:
- In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and melted chicken fat. Gradually add milk until dough reaches a good consistency for rolling. The dough should be slightly less firm than a pie crust. If the dough seems too wet add a little flour. If too thick, add a little more milk.
- On a well-floured surface, working with half of the dough at a time, roll the dumplings out as you would a pie crust. Cut into long strips or squares as you prefer. Drop dumplings individually into gently boiling chicken stock. Continue until all the dough is used.
- Cook approximately 20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Stir several times while cooking to keep dumplings separated, but be careful not to break the dumplings when you stir.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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M. DAVIDSON
How many servings is this recipe, and serving size...if you know?
Lana Stuart
You know, I never really measured it. However, it makes a lot. I can serve six people and have leftovers.
Shirley Lindsey
Just a suggestion, my mother always hung her rolled dumplings in the air to dry out a little. Actually she hung them over the rim of her huge flour container. Also, I have found that flour tortillas, cut into strips, are a great substitute.
Lana Stuart
I've heard that about the flour tortillas, Shirley, but I've never tried it. Might do that when I'm pushed for time!