Chicken and dumplings

[Vanquisher]

From Cuisine at Home - Issue 43


For the chicken -

Cut into pieces:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Dredge In: Brown in 2T oil:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. cayenne (This lit me UP! I might cut it back to 1/4 tsp. next
time, but Chad really liked it).
1/4 t. black pepper

Sweat in 1T oil:
1 leek, sliced into half moons
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into large chunks
2 parsnips, peeled, diced
2 bay leaves

Deglaze with:
1/4 cup dry white wine

Stir in:
Remaining dreging flour

Gradually add; braise:
1 qt. low-sodium chicken broth (I used stock)

Stir in:
Brown chicken
2 t. lemon juice
1 tsp. each fresh chopped sage and rosemary


For the dumplings -

Blend:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 T. parmesan cheese, grated
2 1/s t. baking powder
2 t. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. cracked black pepper

Heat:
2/3 cup whole milk (I used skim and a little cream)
3 T. unsalted butter (I used salted)



Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in the center. This is all done
in one oven safe pot.

Cut chicken into large pieces. Combine flour and seasonings in a
resealable plastic bag.
Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. In a deep ovenproof pot,
heat 1 T. oil over med-high heat. Brown the chicken in oil. Remove
to plate. Reduce heat to medium.
Sweat vegetables and bay leaves in oil until softened. 5 minutes.
Deglaze with wine; simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in the rest
of the floor from the dredging bag to coar vegetables.
Gradually add broth. Cover pot and transfer to the oven; cook for 20
minutes. While stew is in the over, make dumpling dough.
Blend dry ingredients for dumplings in a mixing bowl.
Heat milk and butter until butter melds; blend into dry ingredients.
Stir in chicken lemon juice and herbs before adding dumplings.
Shape, then drop the dumplings (I used a small ice cream scooper)
onton the simmering stew. Braise in the oven until dumplings are
cooked though (toothpick inserted in center comes out clean), about 20
minutes.


That's it. It really isn't that hard, even though there are a lot of
directions. It takes about an hour and a half. It makes enough for
6-8 people though.

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: Chicken and dumplings

THANKS! I think I'll try it this weekend. I have been CRAVING c&d for weeks!

Yum yum yum!!! So hearty and comfort food - ish. DH was in heaven with this dish. I made it last night and he ate about half of it overnight while up all night studying. I intended to freeze some but there was not enough left to make it worthwhile.

And like Heidi said it is really not as difficult or long as the recipe looks at first glance.

[spotty_dog]

Mmm, I made this too. Well, sort of. I had hardly any of the vegetables, but ran with it anyway. The last couple of times I made chicken and dumplings it was a flop, but this time was the charm! I liked the dumpling recipe (with the parmesan and the little bit of sugar -- I used less than it called for though) and I liked the thickened stew-y broth. Nom! (I just had most of the leftovers for lunch, LOL.)

[Momo]

I'm thinking w/the cayenne pepper, that this may finally be a version of Chix w/dumplings/noodles that DH will dig!

BTW what do you use to de-glaze if you don't use wine,more broth?

[Vanquisher]

I'm thinking w/the cayenne pepper, that this may finally be a version of Chix w/dumplings/noodles that DH will dig!

BTW what do you use to de-glaze if you don't use wine,more broth?

Sure. I don't see why not.

I am so glad that people are trying this and liking it.

[spotty_dog]

Chicken and dumplings was not a food I grew up with, but all the versions I've tried recently have been more like chicken soup with the dumplings floating on a broth. This was much much thicker and less soupy, and all together delightful.

I think you could deglaze with just about any yummy liquid you like, but broth would definitely work.

BTW, all the mods I did: used celery, onion, and two kinds of potato instead of the vegetables. Homemade stock instead of broth. Less salt and less sugar in the dumplings. Cut the meat off of two drumsticks and a thigh instead of using boneless skinless. Didn't have sage, just used a mostly-dried sprig of rosemary I'd recently picked from my bush. And only used the merest dash of cayenne since the kiddos were going to be eating it! I have clearly become a spice wimp because I could still taste it, but it was just a nice hint of warmth.