Chicken & Dumplings

I have had the hardest time getting a decent photo of Chicken & Dumplings! I’ve been trying to get this recipe for what seems like a good year (seriously). And this photo doesn’t do it justice. But in the meantime, it gave me time to refine the recipe even further and I think I’m fully content with it now so it worked out for all you readers I love Chicken & Dumplings. Its the perfect comfort food. And its so simple & just so delicious!

If you prefer a thicker stew, after you’ve sauteed the diced veggies. Add a couple Tablespoons of flour to the diced veggies, just before adding white wine.

Chicken & Dumplings

1 Tbsp olive oil
2.5-3 lbs. bone-in split chicken breasts (2-3)
8 cups of water
2 medium onions
5 whole carrots
7 stalks celery
2-3 bay leaves
1/2 c white wine
3/4 c petite frozen peas
1/2 tsp thyme
salt & pepper

Dumplings
2 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 c milk, warm
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Rinse and pat dry chicken. Season with salt in pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large dutch oven. Add chicken and cook until golden on both sides, approximately 10 minutes per side. Cut the following into quarters and add to chicken: 1 onion, 3 stalks celery, 2 carrots.  Add 8 cups of water. Cover dutch oven and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 1 hour. Add 2-3 bay leaves. Simmer 30-40 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside. Strain solids from broth and reserve broth. Discard solids. When cool enough to touch, remove chicken skin & shred chicken. Discard bones.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add one onion (diced), 4 stalks of celery (diced), and 3 carrots (diced). Saute until soft approximately 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup white wine allowing to cook down. Add the chicken back to the pot. Return 5-6 cups of the strained broth to the pot. Return pot to a rolling boil.

Combine all dumpling ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Set aside. Add thyme to stew and season with salt & pepper. Stir in peas.

Gather dumpling dough into golf-ball sized portions, dropping into the stew leaving 1/4 – 1/2 inch between them. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until dumplings have doubled in size, approximately 15 minutes.

Short-cut Chicken & Dumplings

Starting with paragraph three above (sauteing diced veggies), use store bought broth or stock and 4 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken.

Tagged as: Chicken, Soup