Posted on by Suzanne

Chicken and Dumplings

Today is a good day for chicken and dumplings.  It’s cold and rainy….and it’s Monday.  Comfort food is on the horizon for tonight.

There are just a few little tricks for making chicken and dumplings from scratch:

*  Use a big, fat hen.  This will give more flavor to the dish.  I boil the whole hen on medium/low for a couple of hours and then let it sit in the broth.  It will fall off the bone at that point.

*  Let the dumplings cook in the broth until they have a slick look and feel.  This is one of the things that frustrated me until I realized what I was doing wrong.  If they’re not cooked long enough, they will be fat, doughy and chewy.

*  Use plain flour and water for the dumplings.  That’s it!

Step 1

Cook the hen in boiling, salted water.  When it has finished cooking, remove from pot and place in a large dish.  Let cool and start on the dumplings.

Step 2

I really don’t measure the flour, but approximately 4 cups for our family.  Make a well in the center of the flour.  This is where you will pour your water to start making the dough.

Step 3

I add one cup of water at a time.  Turn the bowl slowly as you incorporate the flour into the water.  Add more water as needed.

Step 4
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Keep plenty of extra flour on hand for your rolling pin.  Roll the dough as thin as possible.  Cut into strips.  I cut these once more across.  Take a thin spatula or knife to gently lift the dumplings off the surface and place them in the boiling broth.
Step 5
They take a long time to cook.  I haven’t really timed it, but let them cook until they take on a shiny, slick texture.  If they taste gummy or doughy, they are not done.  I also add a little chicken bouillon to make it have a little deeper chicken flavor.
When the dumplings are cooked, add in the deboned chicken.
Enjoy!

2 Replies to “Chicken and Dumplings”

  2. That looks so good! Funny to see how different regions of our country make the same dish. I've seen dumplings made like that on food network. I knew it was the sountern way to do it. I'm gonna give it a try next time. Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Wisconsin – where today is a potato soup kinda day.

    Like

    Reply

I would love to hear from you!