About 5 years ago, Joshua requested Chicken and Dumplings for his birthday meal. He LOVES Chicken and Dumplings. Well, I found a recipe and made it and it was pretty good. Still, though, it wasn't "Southern" Chicken and Dumplings with gooey dumplings and broth thickened with flour.
I've been looking for years for "the" recipe. The one that reminds me of eating in the homes of
real Southern cooks. Happily, I FOUND IT!!! Where?
Southern Living Magazine!! Now why didn't I check with them in the first place!!!
We had these last night and I truly meant to take a picture, but, well, they are all gone now and there is no photo to share!! You're just gonna have to trust me when I say "YOU MUST MAKE THESE FOR YOUR FAMILY!!!!!". And, yes, you will all fight over the dumplings. That's part of what makes Chicken and Dumplings SO tasty!! :)
Chicken and Dumplings1 (2 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut up
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/3 cup shortening
2 teaspoons bacon drippings
1 cup milk
Cover chicken with water, and bring to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and next 3 ingredients; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven; cool chicken. Skim fat from broth; bring to a simmer.
Skin, bone, and coarsely chop chicken. Add chicken, bouillon, and remaining salt and pepper to broth. Return to simmer.
Combine flour and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Cut in shortening and bacon drippings with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add milk, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1-inch pieces.
Bring broth mixture to a boil. Drop dumplings, a few at a time, into boiling broth, stirring gently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring often, for 25 minutes.
Yield
8 servings
Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2001
(Ahem.... excuse me a moment here... You know how I ALWAYS change recipes around? Well, I did it for this one, too. I did not use a whole chicken. I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Then I poured water in my stock pot and covered the chicken with about 3 inches of water. Oh, and I did use a smidge more (maybe 1/2) of each of the seasonings because I used more water. I still chopped the chicken and made the dumplings like the recipe says.)