This looks really long and complicated, but it isn't. I just give a lot of direction when I share a recipe. From all those years of teaching my CSA people to cook, I can't seem to shake the habit but sometimes I wish recipes I find would explain things better, so I am not changing my method. Makes me a little more Julia Child anyway...she always explained things to tiny detail.
CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE:
3-4 large chicken thighs, skin on. If they are small you will need 6. If you use a whole chicken, that works, too but either way, you cook the chicken pretty much the same.
2 cups self rising Flour*
Salt and Pepper ** I used garlic salt because I like that flavor but do not over do it.
Celery stalk * optional
1/4 onion * optional
1) In a large Dutch oven (with a lid), place your chicken and completely cover with slightly salted water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and cover. REMEMBER TO COVER. Cook until chicken is falling off the bone...about an hour. If you want, throw in the onion and celery about half way thru the cooking process.
2) Remove the chicken, celery and onion. Let chicken cool enough to handle and de-bone. I make the dumplings while the chicken is cooling.
3) Take 2 cups of flour and a cup of the hot chicken broth you just made. Mix until you have something resembling biscuit dough. If it is too dry, add a little more broth but you don't want to deplete your stock so you can use some warm water instead. This is ONLY if the dough appears too dry. You want it to be only slightly sticky, not gooey. The dough may be a bit hard to handle because the stock was hot but you don't want to mix cold dough. It will get tough.
4) Sprinkle some flour on whatever surface you plan on rolling out the dumplings and use rolling pin to get them really flat. You may need to sprinkle with flour a couple of times to keep pin from sticking but that's okay, just don't use so much flour the dough gets dry and cracks. If you don't have a rolling pin (and a lot of people don't) you can use a tall glass or just pat out with your hands. Just keep the dough about the thickness of a pie crust.
5) Once you have the dough rolled out, take a sharp knife and cut into strips about an inch wide. Bring the chicken stock you made back to a rolling boil and carefully drop the strips of dough into the boiling stock. Once they are all in the pot, cover and reduce heat to simmer.
6) Let them cook undisturbed for about 15-20 minutes, not lifting the lid.
After 15 minutes you can lift the lid to stir them.
7) Add as much of the deboned chicken meat as you want back into the dumplings. Some people don't do this but I think the dish is much better if chicken is used. Salt and pepper to taste. As I said, I used garlic salt at this step, which adds a little depth of flavor.
*If you use plain flour, your dumplings will be denser and a bit heavy. If you use all purpose flour, you might want to add a tiny bit of baking powder or soda but not too much, you don't want biscuits floating in chicken stock
Serve in bowls as a main dish or with a meal. We just eat like a soup or stew.
CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE:
3-4 large chicken thighs, skin on. If they are small you will need 6. If you use a whole chicken, that works, too but either way, you cook the chicken pretty much the same.
2 cups self rising Flour*
Salt and Pepper ** I used garlic salt because I like that flavor but do not over do it.
Celery stalk * optional
1/4 onion * optional
1) In a large Dutch oven (with a lid), place your chicken and completely cover with slightly salted water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and cover. REMEMBER TO COVER. Cook until chicken is falling off the bone...about an hour. If you want, throw in the onion and celery about half way thru the cooking process.
2) Remove the chicken, celery and onion. Let chicken cool enough to handle and de-bone. I make the dumplings while the chicken is cooling.
3) Take 2 cups of flour and a cup of the hot chicken broth you just made. Mix until you have something resembling biscuit dough. If it is too dry, add a little more broth but you don't want to deplete your stock so you can use some warm water instead. This is ONLY if the dough appears too dry. You want it to be only slightly sticky, not gooey. The dough may be a bit hard to handle because the stock was hot but you don't want to mix cold dough. It will get tough.
4) Sprinkle some flour on whatever surface you plan on rolling out the dumplings and use rolling pin to get them really flat. You may need to sprinkle with flour a couple of times to keep pin from sticking but that's okay, just don't use so much flour the dough gets dry and cracks. If you don't have a rolling pin (and a lot of people don't) you can use a tall glass or just pat out with your hands. Just keep the dough about the thickness of a pie crust.
5) Once you have the dough rolled out, take a sharp knife and cut into strips about an inch wide. Bring the chicken stock you made back to a rolling boil and carefully drop the strips of dough into the boiling stock. Once they are all in the pot, cover and reduce heat to simmer.
6) Let them cook undisturbed for about 15-20 minutes, not lifting the lid.
After 15 minutes you can lift the lid to stir them.
7) Add as much of the deboned chicken meat as you want back into the dumplings. Some people don't do this but I think the dish is much better if chicken is used. Salt and pepper to taste. As I said, I used garlic salt at this step, which adds a little depth of flavor.
*If you use plain flour, your dumplings will be denser and a bit heavy. If you use all purpose flour, you might want to add a tiny bit of baking powder or soda but not too much, you don't want biscuits floating in chicken stock
Serve in bowls as a main dish or with a meal. We just eat like a soup or stew.
Enjoy!!!
