Chicken & Dumplings

Its a lot like chicken pot pies, its a creamy chicken-y stew... pot pies have a lot more veggies. this one usually wants veggies on the side. But then there are the dumplings... the part we all love the most. these squishy dough-y dumplings swimming in a creamy chicken bath of love.  That was the part thats the most important. I've never gotten the frozen ones, so I have no idea if they are any good... its too easy to just make them myself, and then I know whats in them ;)

Now, I have a vegetarian boyfriend, this mean that I need to always think of the adaptations to cater to what he would be able to have, so I would add a bunch more veggies, all veggie broth and the dumplings... just big chunks of veggies like broccoli, carrot, mushroom, celery and potato.

Let's get this going.

Mirepoix: carrots, onion, celery.  Soften in some butter and oil, a fine dice - I usually throw them in the processor and let them get fairly small, this way they cook down and the non-veggie eaters of the house are none the wiser, but the vitamins are still present! Garlic is going to be your decision, some people like it more than others, and you've already used an aromatic, so its going to be a matter of taste.  Add garlic if you want now and keep sauteing... Now, 1/4- 1/2 cup of flour in next to get everything nice and thick, thin with low sodium chicken broth and milk or 1/2 & 1/2, cater to your diet needs...add your large can of cream of chicken soup and some fresh thyme if you can - otherwise dry will do.

SECRET!- want it to be a little more yellow for the kids? with that "authentic chicken color"? ;) add about 1/2 tsp of Tumeric, its good for you and it makes it very pretty.

Now, you could have started by cooking your chicken in the broth you are using (poaching it) or you could sautee it in the pan, pull it out and then throw the mirepoix in, getting the bits off the bottom. Or roast in on the bone, and pull it off.  Use canned, if you can stomach it. Boil it whole. Do whatever is handiest for you.

At some point you have to make the dumplings. I use this recipe and its always perfect.

1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp. veg shortening - now there is this YouTube cook named "frietasex" who used (brilliantly) some of the fat from the top of his refrigerated chicken stock in his dumplings, which obviously would give it a better flavor, but I'm not one to cook things the day ahead and keep that around, but perhaps it might be worth it to make some fatty stock and cool it just to collect and freeze that solid fat love.
3/4 c. buttermilk  (what do i do with the rest of it? well, you could have marinated the chicken in it the night before - but you didn't so, save whats left and use it to marinate your next chicken meal, specifically BBQ or Southern Fried over night with some seasonings and hot sauce)

Bowl. Dry ingredients, mix. add the fat, and pinch out until crumbly, then add wet. mix and roll out to about 1/4 inch. You will have to do this in batches and flour everything generously. Cut into 2" squares (don't be too perfect about it), or however you like them.  Add these into the bubbly chicken soupy-stew give it a good stir and put the lid on it. let it cook for about 10-12 minutes and add the chicken, stir again, cover and let cook another 5 minutes.

I like to add a can of drained corn and a can of drained peas at this point - which to purists are a no-no- but whatever you enjoy, throw in. Or not.

Stir around and its done. All is hot and ready at this point.

Turn the heat off, carefully remove the lid, and ladle into bowls.

I double this recipe when I cook for six and there is always left overs, and I think it works just fine as leftovers in the microwave as long as you don't over-zap it and mix it every so often.

the lore of the chicken and dumplings:

but this isn't how I make mine, and my dumplings never fall apart. just look at them!