HOMEMADE CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS (OR THIN ROLLED, CUT AND “AIR DRIED”- CHICKEN AND PASTRY)

RECIPE PROVIDED BY

LOUSIE HINSLEY

Ingredients

Chicken & Stock

1 whole chicken

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 bay leaf (optional)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup flour

Dumplings (pastry)

1 1/8 cups milk*

6 tablespoons butter, melted

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

SOURCE: NC EXTENSION FOOD AND NUTRITION, NCSU SAFE PLATES EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOODS AND NUTRITION PLEASE CONTACT LOUISE L. HINSLEY, EXTENSION

AGENT, FAMILY CONSUMER SCIENCE AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CENTER OF NC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 155 AIRPORT ROAD, WASHINGTON, NC 252-946-0111.

Notes

You can absolutely cook the chicken faster than the directions but the secret to tender, flavorful chicken and delicious stock is to slowly bring everything to temperature and to never allow it to reach a full, rolling boil. If you have the time, the BEST way is to cook the chicken

Instructions

Cook Chicken & Prepare Stock

1. Add chicken, broth, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder and bay leaf to a wide stock pot or Dutch oven. Cover then bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Once broth is bubbling, reduce heat to low then cook, covered, for 2-3 hours, or until legs and thighs are pulling apart from the body and the chicken is very tender. See notes.

2. Remove chicken from broth; set aside. Strain broth into a large bowl or pitcher, discarding bay leaf and loose bones and skin; set broth aside.

3. Melt butter in the (now empty) pot then cook celery, carrots and onion over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add flour, stir well, then continue cooking for 5 minutes.

4. Slowly stir reserved broth in with vegetables. Continue stirring until completely smooth. Reduce heat to low and cover.

5. Remove skin and bones from chicken then shred or cut chicken into bite size pieces.

6. Prepare dumplings.

7. Heat pot with broth over medium-high heat until it starts to boil. Add chicken. Gently drop dumplings, one at a time, into gently boiling broth. Take care to drop dumplings away from other freshly dropped dumplings as they will stick to each other before they have a chance to cook.

8. Once all of the dumplings are in the pot, sprinkle with additional pepper then cover pot. Reduce heat to low then allow to cook for 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.

9. Serve immediately.

the entire time over low heat.

Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or thighs can be substituted but I don’t recommend boneless, skinless chicken. If you simply must use them anyway, omit the water and broth then use 8 cups chicken stock instead and add a stick of butter.

If you don’t love the idea of the finely chopped vegetables, feel free to just rough-

Yield: 8 Servings

Prepare the Dumplings

1. Place milk in a wide, shallow bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes to separate the melted butter when we pour it in so that our dumplings are very much like actual biscuits without the fuss of actually making biscuits.

2. Melt the butter then set aside.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and thyme in a mixing bowl then whisk to combine; set aside.

4. Slowly drizzle melted butter into chilled milk, stirring with a fork until combined. The mixture should look like curdled milk or cottage cheese.

5. Add milk mixture to flour mixture then stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.

6. If making Drop Dumplings: scoop portions of dough with two teaspoons or use a cookie scoop (I use a 1” cookie scoop) then drop into gently boiling broth.

7. If making Pastry: turn dough out onto lightly floured surface then sprinkle with more flour. Roll into desired thickness about 1/8 inch thick. (anticipate they will double in thickness when cooked). Cut into squares, strips or rectangles (however your granny did it) and allow them to dry while the chicken cooks. When ready drop into gently boiling broth. Cook as you would dumplings.

chop a few carrots, stalks of celery and an onion then throw them in the pot when the chicken cooks. If you decide to do it this way, still cook the butter and flour for 5 minutes over medium heat. This just makes a little roux to thicken the stock a bit. You’ll see a lot of recipes that call for a can of Cream of Something soup – this is the homemade equivalent to that.