Grab your sweet tea and let's whip up another Southern classic comfort food. Get ready to be taken back to Grandmother's house with this family recipe. Very few ingredients and very inexpensive to make. Pretty simple too. Read along to see how.
The stock takes about 2 hours at the minimum. So, before you make your dough you want to go ahead and get the chicken stock going. Soups and stocks are always a great way to use up those veggies that are about to bad.
Prep your whole chicken to get it ready for the stock. I like to remove as much skin and fat as possible off of the bird. Place it in your large stock pot filled with water. Add in your carrots, minced garlic, celery and onions. Let it come to a boil then turn it down to a simmer for approximately 2 hours. Be sure the water is fully covering the chicken in the beginning. The chicken will start to float as it cooks.
While the stock is simmering it is a good time to make your dough and roll out as much as you can. You can pre-make her dough and freeze it in an airtight container. So, then all you have to do is roll it out when you're ready.
Grandmother's Homemade Chicken 'n Dumplings
Ingredients - Broth
1 Whole Chicken (5 lbs.)
4 Carrots, Cleaned and cut
1 Whole Onion (I like a Vidalia Onion)
4 Sticks of Celery, Cut
1 tablespoon Salt
1 tablespoon Pepper
Ingredients - Dumplings
3 cups of Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
salt to taste (I just shake some in)
about a cup of milk, maybe a bit less
2 Tbs. butter
Instructions
Clean the chicken. I suggest removing as much skin as possible. If not, your stock will be greasy and fatty. Make sure to remove the gizzard inside the bird.
Place chicken inside at least a 4 quart stock pan. Add Carrots, Onions and celery.
Fill stock pan with water. Enough to cover the chicken. Keep in mind the water will evaporate throughout the cooking process and can add more water as needed.
Bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat and let simmer for at least 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove chicken and veggies from stock and set chicken aside to cool. You will no longer need the veggies.
Once the chicken has cooled enough to shred, shred only the white meat. Will be about 4 - 5 cups of shredded chicken.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender.
Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball
Heavily flour your work surface. You'll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dough with. A knife or a pizza cutter works fine.
Roll the dough out thin with a floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares, about 2"x2". It's ok for them to not be exact. (For the Topper - you will need to roll out enough to cover your oven safe dish)
Bring the broth to a boil.
Drop the dumplings in one at a time stirring gently while you add them to the broth. You don't want them sticking together. The extra flour will help thicken the broth.
Cook them for about 15 - 20 minutes or until they aren't doughy tasting.
Add the shredded chicken to the broth and stir gently
Pour or spoon the chicken n dumplings into an oven safe dish.
Cover with the topper and pop in the oven on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Use your fork to crease the top.
You can spray or add a couple of butter slices on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. It's an added goodness you will enjoy.
My Grandmother was an amazing woman. She wasn't too shabby in the kitchen either. (Anyone that knew her, knows she was an incredible cook) Everything she made was made from scratch and made with love. One of my all time favorite meals of hers is her Homemade Chicken N Dumplins. She would make her own stock and roll out her own dough. I remember she used to let me roll out a bit of dough to make breadsticks. It thrilled me to get to "help" her prepare our meal.
She would add a "Topper" of dough. It gets crispy and it's AMAZING! That was her signature to this dish.
Good thing I paid attention in the kitchen with her! We will be following her every step in this recipe. Let's make her proud!
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