Entry #2470, May 28, 2013

Who remembers the dynamic duo of the southern loved chicken and dumplings combination?  Remember those Saturday nights, when your mother was humming to her favorite tunes and leaning over the pot to get a spoonful of the creamy chicken with dumplings to taste.  You couldn’t wait until she said “Dinner, guys!,” then everyone would rush to the bathroom, knocking each other to get cleaned up for the delicious concoction that had been formed.  With its hardy and rich taste that filled your belly with every bite, you just couldn’t have enough.  Recreate those good times with your family and make this timeless dish that they are sure to love.

Good Old Fashioned Chicken N Dumplins’

Chicken and dumplings recipe

Image via: My Recipes

Ingredients

1. 1 (2 1/2 –pound) of Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2. 3 Celery Ribs, chopped
3. 1 large Onion, chopped
4. 2 Bay Leaves
5. 2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
6. 1 teaspoon of House Seasoning, recipe follows:

•                 1 cup of Salt
•                 ¼ cup of Black Pepper
•                 ¼ cup of Garlic Powder

7.   1 (10 ¾-ounce) of can condensed cream of celery or cream of Chicken Soup

Dumplings:

1. 2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
2. 1 teaspoon of Salt
3. Ice Water

Chicken and Dumplings with Vegetables

Image via: Pillsbury

Directions

For House Seasoning:

1. Mix the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

For the Chicken:

1. First, start with the chicken.  Place it, the celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in a large pot.  Then add 4 quarts of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the thigh juices run clear for approximately 40 min.
2. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool.  When the chicken has become cool enough to handle, then remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. After you have de-boned the chicken put it back into the pot and keep it warm over a low heat.

Chicken and dumplings recipe

Image via: Gastrofotonomia

For the Dumplings:

1. Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl.  Starting at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. While using yours fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about ¾ cups of ice water.  Knead the dough and form it into a ball.
2. After the ball has been formed, dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface.  Roll out the dough (keep in mind it will be firm), working from center to 1/8-inch thick.Then let the dough relax for several minutes.

For the Entire Meal:

1. Add the cream of celery soup to the pot with the chicken and simmer gently over a medium-low heat.
2. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces, pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup.  Repeat this process until the entire dough has been used.  Do NOT stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added.
3. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly.  Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, which should take about 3-4 minutes.
4. After the dumplings have achieved the desired look, ladle the chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warms bowls and enjoy!

*If the chicken stew is too thin then you can thicken it before adding in the dumplings by mixing together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and ¼ cup of water.  Whisk the mixture into the stew.

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