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| Chicken and Dumplings, With Potato Dumplings |
Total Time 2hrs 30mins
Prep 30 mins
Cook 2 hrs
Here in the Southern US we pronounce it "dumplins". This is a staple as I grew up, if you want the very basic recipe just leave out the optionals. A very comforting dish. My Father makes this without the options and uses canned biscuits, which is what I grew up on.
Ingredients
Servings 5
soup
1 (3 lb) chicken
2 1⁄2 quarts water
1 cup diced onion
2 -3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon dry basil
1⁄2 teaspoon rosemary
1 cup chopped celery
1⁄3 cup heavy cream (optional)
dumplings
2 cups flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
3⁄4-1 teaspoon salt, if not using potato use 3/4 t
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup milk
3⁄4 cup shredded potato (optional)
Directions
- Place all ingredients except the celery, cream and dumplings into a large pot, bring to just a boil and reduce heat to a very slow simmer. A bigger chicken will require a little more water.
- Cover and simmer very slow for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until chicken is falling apart and a rich broth is produced.
- Carefully remove chicken to a platter and allow to cool enough to separate the meat from the bone, cartilage and skin. Be sure to remove all chicken parts from the broth.
- Optional-I like to place the bones back into the broth and simmer slowly, covered for another hour then remove or strain broth through a colander, this is optional but will richen the broth.
- After making sure all bones and chicken parts are removed from pot, tear chicken meat into course pieces and place back into pot.
- Add celery and simmer until the celery is almost done, about 15 or 20 minutes. Add cream and stir.
- Make the dumplings, mix dry ingredients, shred potato to 3/4 cup softly packed, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can, add to dry ingredients and mix well with a fork. (I like fairly dense dumplings, for fluffier dumplings add 1 teaspoon more baking powder.).
- Add the milk and butter, mix until just blended, sometimes because of the potato I have to add a tablespoon or so of more flour, you want biscuit dough consistency.
- Drop by spoonful into the soup, remember they will swell a bit, about double.
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, check the dumplings, you may need additional time for the potato to cook (just 4 or 5 minutes), taste a dumpling, there should be no crunchy raw potato.
- If the pot becomes overcrowded with dumplings, stop and place dough covered in the refrigerator, after serving you can replenish the soup with dumplings for seconds or leftovers.
- Add ins - 1 cup of diced carrots may be added in right before the celery if wished. 1/2 cup of sweet peas may also be added right before the dumplings, then you have Deluxe Chicken and Dumplings.