Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken & Dumplings

If you have never experienced Sunday style chicken and dumplings, you are in for a treat. It is satisfying but not heavy; moist and mouth watering, absolutely memorable. Who says stews always have to be beef-based? If you want to save extra calories, start this a day ahead or early in the day and finish an hour before mealtime. This will allow you to skim the fat and a take off a few portions of the broth to serve as soup. Incidentally, the recipe looks long but assembles in short time.

Serves 5-7

POACHING STOCK AND CHICKEN
1 4 to 5 pound chicken or stewing hen, cut up
8 cups water
1 large onion, halved
2 carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, cut in sticks
celery top leaves, if available
a few sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon, scant, pepper

GRAVY AND VEGETABLES
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon savory
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely minced
salt, fresh pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups reserved chicken stock
2 tablespoons white wine, optional
1 1/2 cups milk or half and half
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 cup corn
1/2 cup f inely sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
4 small onions, quartered
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1 large leek, sliced 1/4 inch rounds

HERB DUMPLINGS
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely minced
3 tablespoons oil or softened unsalted butter
3/4 - 1 cup milk

Place chicken, water, onions, carrots, celery tops, parsley, salt and pepper in an 8-10 quart stockpot or Dutch oven . Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, anywhere from 45-60 minutes. Let cool, then remove chicken. Strain stock, reserving carrot and celery, as well as clarified stock. (At this point, you can refrigerate meat and stock overnight or several hours. When ready to finish recipe, strain, and remove fat that may have solidified on top). If you like, skim off some portions of the broth to serve as soup.

Gravy and Vegetables: Place chicken in a large heat-proof casserole (a 12 inch, 3 inch sided brazier or paella style pan works well - anything that can hold a lot of food and liquid). Place vegetables all around and on top of chicken: reserved carrots and celery, peas, corn, fresh carrot and celery, onions, potato, and leek. Sprinkle chicken with the garlic, thyme, sage, savory, parsley, salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, make a roux by heating butter and oil. Add in flour and cook to brown flour somewhat, a couple of minutes. Whisk in chicken stock, cream or half-and-half, and white wine. Pour this over chicken, spooning on as evenly as possible.

Meanwhile, prepare Dumplings. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, dill and parsley. Cut in shortening then add milk and stir to make a moistened, thick batter. Drop in dollops, into chicken and gravy. Cover, and place in a preheated 325 F oven for 30-45 minutes. Check once in awhile to make sure there is sufficient gravy. Add some more of the reserved chicken stock if required. If casserole is bubbling a lot, reduce heat to 300 F.


NOTE: My Mother would NEVER have put peas and corn in this dish. Otherwise, it's close to her recipe.