with certain meals i understand that even after all these recipes, even after all this time, i still have so much to learn. case in point, chicken and dumplings, but more the dumplings than the chicken. it 's not that they were challenging, really. i actually enjoyed carefully shaping the batter between two spoons and plopping big hunks of raw dough into thick chicken gravy. it made me feel like a kid helping my mom with something i'd never tackled before, equally proud and nervous. as i watched those mounds puff and bloat to their full, fluffy glory i prayed to the gods that this turn out the way it was suppose to. it's a time consuming dish and the longer a dish takes the more upset i get if anything goes wrong. {eg. i burnt my index finger on some chicken stock, then got so annoyed and frustrated i wanted to throw the whole dutch oven off my balcony. it took a few minutes for me to comprehend how hard i'd get sued if my pot of chicken and dough hit a civilian, so i decided it was smarter to just finish cooking it.} david made me realize when i was sitting down to eat though that most people have never had a traditional southern dumpling before {at least neither one of us had} so i didn't know what 'it was suppose to' actually was and that turned out to be the difficult part.
"soooo, where's the filling?"
"there's no filling...it's like matzo ball soup for southern people."
"so it's like bread cooked in soup?"
"no, it's a dumpling."
"so, it's made with bread ingredients and cooks in soup, but it's called a dumpling?"
"yes. and it's more of a stew..."
"it's just a ball of dough..."
"...that's called a dumpling! bread's just a ball of dough that's called bread."
"boy, this dough is filling..."
"just say it! you hate my dumplings! you've always hated my dumplings!"
{yes, i'm joking and yes, we're weird...}
biting into these light lumps my tongue was desperately searching for a texture of recognition or a flavor i would automatically understand as 'done'. no raw flour taste, so that was good, i defeated the one obstacle i was aware of. after taking a few more bites i asked "are these cooked right?" knowing full well that his response would be "i don't know, i just told you i've never had one... but i think so?" they seemed to be... i think they were... but having nothing to compare it to, i guess we'll never know {unless i go to the south on a dumpling hunt which seems a bit excessive}. i enjoyed them, i think he did to. we both had two helpings and that's the most important part.
*quick shout out to auntie p for gifting me the cookbook this recipe came from! it's a winner!
"so it's like bread cooked in soup?"
"no, it's a dumpling."
"so, it's made with bread ingredients and cooks in soup, but it's called a dumpling?"
"yes. and it's more of a stew..."
"it's just a ball of dough..."
"...that's called a dumpling! bread's just a ball of dough that's called bread."
"boy, this dough is filling..."
"just say it! you hate my dumplings! you've always hated my dumplings!"
{yes, i'm joking and yes, we're weird...}
biting into these light lumps my tongue was desperately searching for a texture of recognition or a flavor i would automatically understand as 'done'. no raw flour taste, so that was good, i defeated the one obstacle i was aware of. after taking a few more bites i asked "are these cooked right?" knowing full well that his response would be "i don't know, i just told you i've never had one... but i think so?" they seemed to be... i think they were... but having nothing to compare it to, i guess we'll never know {unless i go to the south on a dumpling hunt which seems a bit excessive}. i enjoyed them, i think he did to. we both had two helpings and that's the most important part.
*quick shout out to auntie p for gifting me the cookbook this recipe came from! it's a winner!
chicken and dumplings.
serves 4-6
from tyler florence family meals
chicken and dumplings:
- 1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs.
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
- 6 thyme sprigs
- salt + fresh cracked pepper
- 4-5 black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4-1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 fresh chives
- chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- rinse the chicken under cold water and discard the giblets. place the chicken, 2 bay leaves, garlic head, thyme sprigs, a large pinch of salt, and the peppercorns in a large heavy pot and cover with water. bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender, skimming the surface several times.
- transfer chicken to platter to cool. strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding all solids. pull the chicken into big pieces and discard the skin and bones. cover and set aside. measure out 6 cups of the chicken stock, reserving any additional stock for another use.
- in a dutch oven, heat butter and oil together over medium heat until the butter melts. add the carrot, celery, garlic, and 2 bay leaves and cook until veggies are soft, 5 minutes. add the flour and whisk until combined, then continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes. slowly pour in the 6 cups of stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. add the peas and the onions. simmer the sauce until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. stir in the heavy cream and reserved chicken into the sauce and bring to a simmer. taste and add salt as necessary.
- sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. in a small bowl lightly beat eggs, buttermilk, and chives together; pour the egg mixture into your flour, fold gently until just combined. the dough should be soft and sticky, if it ends up being a bit dry add more buttermilk.
- using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoons of the buttermilk-chive batter onto the hot chicken mixture. the dumpling should not be touching or crowded. cover the pot and cook the dumpling until they are firm, puffy, and cooked through. season with freshly cracked pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
