Chicken and Dumplings – The Ultimate Comfort Food

A comfort food classic, chicken dumplings is one of our favorites. If you are unsure about your dumpling making skills, you can start by cooking them in a separate pan of simmering chicken stock. Dumplings need room to float around and turn themselves over during cooking. Once they are done you can place them in serving bowls and add the stew.We use a combination of boneless chicken breast and boneless thighs for this recipe for your convenience. This recipe will serve 4 hungry people.

Ingredients;

• 1and 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless organic chicken breast
• 1 and 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
• kosher or sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
• 2 tbs of canola oil
• 3 cups of chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbs of sage
• 2 cloves of garlic minced.
• 1 cup of celery cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 carrot cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock (reserved to thicken stock)

Dumplings:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of kosher or sea salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 tbs of  unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup of milk (room temperature)

Directions:

• The night before cooking season the chicken with salt and pepper and sage and garlic. cover tightly and place in refrigerator over night.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Place the chicken in an oven proof dish and bake until browned. about 30 minutes. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked.
• Add the chicken stock to a stock pot and add the onions, carrots  celery and  bay leaf and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chicken stock.
• Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the stock pot.
• Combine flour with the reserved chicken stock and whisk into a smooth paste.
• Slowly drizzle the flour mixture into the stock pot, stirring constantly.

• Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
• Cut in the butter and blend until you have pea-sized bits of dough. The
• Add the milk and stir until mixed
• Drop dumplings by the tea spoon into the broth and chicken mixture.
• Simmer until dumplings become light and fluffy.
• Serve at once.