Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

You're really missing out on something wonderful if you don't make chicken and dumplings once in awhile. My mother used to make this on a regular basis (never as good as this version, however), when I was young. She grew up in an era, the depression, when they basically only ate meat on Sundays, and often it was a chicken chased down in the coop on the farm.

So, one day a year or so ago, in reading The Orange County Register, the Food Editor Cathy Thomas wrote up all the joys and virtues of chicken and dumplings. It set my mouth to watering, and I promptly made hers. Oh my. Was it ever GOOD. Actually, the chicken was Jamee Ruth's version, from the book The Cookware Cookbook (had never heard of it, actually). It's relatively simple, although it calls for ingredients I don't often have on hand (6 leeks, for example and 6 shallots). The gravy/broth is just delicious, helped along with the addition of apple juice of all things. This is worth a trip to the grocery store. A good recipe for a chilly winter's evening. I like to remove the chicken from the bones (and remove all the skin too so DH won't eat it). Just reheat briefly.

Serve it in a wide soup bowl, with the light dumplings on top. And I highly recommend Marion Cunningham's recipe for Feather Dumplings which has fresh bread crumbs and onion in them. The minced onion gives a nice little crunch in the dumpling. Something a little different, but they're worth making. From her book Lost Recipes: Meals to Share with Family & Friends. Although surely this dish is one you ordinarily think of as homespun, it would be wonderful to share with family, and good friends. Here it is in the bowl with the dumplings.

If you have leftovers, when reheating, put the chicken mixture in a saucepan, heat just to a low simmer, then gently lower in the leftover dumplings. Top with a lid and allow to simmer very slowly for just a few minutes, then serve. I also find that the broth/gravy can have some added water. When I made the chicken and dumplings this time, after completing all the cooking (except the dumplings), I ladled out about 7/8 of the leeks with some broth and whizzed them up in the food processor. That made the gravy a bit thicker, which is a good thing.

Chicken and Dumplings
Recipes: Dumplings - Marion Cunningham; Chicken - Jamee Ruth
Source: Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register
Serving Size : 8
CHICKEN:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pounds chicken pieces -- skin-on
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 whole leeks -- cleaned and sliced
6 whole shallots -- diced
5 whole carrots -- cut in 3" pieces
3 stalks celery -- diced
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice -- or pineapple juice
[Optional: green peas and mushrooms]
FEATHER DUMPLINGS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup onion -- finely minced
1 whole egg -- beaten
2 tablespoons butter -- melted
1 tablespoon Italian parsley -- minced
Black pepper to taste
1. Prepare the chicken (called the soup): In a shallow bowl or pan combine the flour, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Melt butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot on medium-high heat. Cautiously add half of the chicken using tongs. Do not crowd the pieces. Brown nicely on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brown remaining chicken and remove to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add leeks and shallots, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and starting to brown or caramelize. Add the carrots, celery and thyme. Stir and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add the broth and fruit juice and bring to a boil on high heat. Add the chicken on top, reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes (no more than that, or the chicken will dry out and get tough). Remove from heat and cool. The goal is to remove the fat from the broth, so you can separate the vegetables and put the broth in a flat pan to cool faster. Chill, remove fat, then you can reassemble the dish with the chicken on top. Reheat to a simmer.
3. Dumplings: In a small mixing bowl stir together the flour, bread crumbs, baking powder and salt. In another bowl lightly beat the milk, onion, egg and melted butter. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones to make a wet paste. Don't overmix. Add parsley and pepper and mix just until combined. Drop small spoonfuls (about 12) onto the top of the bubbling soup. [Add mushrooms here.]Cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. [If adding peas, heat frozen peas under hot-hot tap water and add a few to each bowl. If you cook them in the stew, they turn gray/ugly.] Ladle soup, vegetables, chicken and a dumpling or two into wide soup bowls.
Serving Ideas : Serve this in a wide and deep soup bowl. The broth is just fabulous, which you want to consume with every bite.
NOTES : If you prefer, you can remove all the chicken from the bones - in which case it's not necessary to do the dredging, etc. Just brown the chicken pieces.
Per Serving (probably not accurate, too high): 445 Calories; 15g Fat (30.7% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 151mg Cholesterol; 1013mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.