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Chicken and dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is comfort food at its best! Start with a hearty chicken and vegetable stew, then add easy homemade dumplings that cook up light and fluffy.
SERVES
6
TO
8
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 whole fryer chicken (2-pound/907 g), broken down into 8 pieces (including carcass)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 4 quarts (4 L) water
- 1 small bunch parsley (stems and leaves separated)
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) butter
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 6 stalks celery, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) flour
Dumplings
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) cake flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
Garnish
- Reserved parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml) peas (frozen or fresh, optional)
- Salt and pepper to season
Directions
For the Soup
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear until well browned and rendered. Remove chicken and drain off the oil.
- Combine the water, browned chicken, parsley, thyme and simmer for 1 hour, until the chicken starts to separate from the bones.
- Use a wire strainer to remove the chicken and other solids to a tray to cool. Shred the chicken meat, discard the aromatics and the bones, cartilage, etc.
- Strain the broth and reserve. Wipe out the Dutch oven and return to the heat.
- Melt the butter, then add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sweat the veggies for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat.
- Add the reserved broth, slowly at first, stirring into the veggies allowing the flour to bind the soup and thicken it slightly.
- When all the broth has been added, bring the soup to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Add the shredded chicken to the soup and leave uncovered over medium-low heat while preparing the dumplings, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
For the Dumplings
- In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the melted butter and stir once, then add the egg and buttermilk and stir until just uniform (not gluey).
- Rest the batter for 10 minutes to relax before forming the dumplings into the soup.
To Finish
- Use 2 spoons to make free-form dumplings, 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) across, laying them directly into the soup with a little space between them. Do not stir.
- Cover and simmer/steam, without disturbing, for 10-12 minutes, until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked.
- Add the peas (if using) and stir once, then increase the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the peas are just cooked.
- Adjust seasonings and serve immediately, ladling the soup into serving bowls gently to keep the dumplings intact.
- Garnish with the reserved chopped parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!
