Chicken Dumplingswest Virginia Style Recipes

Steps:

• For the chicken: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just begin to soften but don't take on any color, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until completely evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until completely melted. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until it is completely incorporated and a sandy paste forms. Pour in the milk and stir until the flour has been smoothly incorporated into the liquid.
• Add the chicken and the chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and peas and remove from the heat.
• For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until just combined, then add the milk and stir until a ball of dough forms.
• Use a small ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop 10 balls of dough into the pot (about 2 tablespoons each). Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the dumplings have puffed up and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with more parsley.

Steps:

• 1. COOKING THE CHICKEN: In a dutch oven or another large covered pot, put the chicken & enough water to cover. The amount of chicken you cook is totally a matter of personal preference. Simmer of LOW heat for about 45 minutes, COVERED, until the chicken easily separates with a fork. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. If you used chicken with bones, you may need to strain the chicken broth into a bowl, rinse out the pot, then return the broth to the pot to avoid getting little pieces of bone in your food. I also feel the need to remove any pieces of fat left behind. When the chicken is cooled enough, cut or tear it off the bones into smaller pieces and return it to the broth. Throw away the skin, too. No time to cook? Buy a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, bring it home, and take at least half of the meat off the bone. You'll probably need about THREE cans of chicken broth to heat up in the pot.
• 2. Now look at the chicken pieces in broth. If you cooked the chicken with skin, the broth is probably rich enough. If you just cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, there is probably very little chicken flavoring to the broth. In this case, add a can or two of chicken broth. The broth should cover the chicken with another inch above. Add a little more water, if needed. Heat to boiling over medium-low heat.
• 3. MAKING THE DUMPLINGS: While the broth is heating up, make the biscuit dough. If you're using my biscuit recipe, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and parsley in a medium bowl. Cut in the Crisco with a pastry cutter or my favorite large meat fork from my silverware set. When the flour, etc... resembles small gravel, make a "well" and slowly add the milk, stirring until you have a soft dough. Let it rest while waiting for the broth to boil. Short on time or supplies? Make dumplings using the recipe from the Bisquick box. OR thaw out frozen biscuits and cut into quarters. OR whomp that can of biscuits and use those. We won't tell. =^..^=
• 4. Add salt & pepper, if desired, and stir the chicken off the bottom of the pot one last time. Then drop the biscuit dough into the boiling broth using a heaping regular tablespoon. Repeat until all the biscuit dough is in the broth. NO MORE STIRRING ONCE THE DUMPLINGS ARE IN THE BROTH!
• 5. Leaving the contents of the pot on a slow simmer, set the timer for 10 minutes. Cook UNCOVERED.
• 6. At the end of 10 minutes, COVER the pot and cook 10 minutes more.
• 7. Serve the chicken & dumplings immediately. Serving suggestion: in West Virginia, this dish is often ladled over a mound of mashed potatoes, with a side of homemade applesauce or cranberry jelly. =^..^=

Steps:

• In a large pot place chicken pieces and add the chicken stock, onion, celery and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Put heat on medium low and simmer, partially covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
• To Prepare Dumplings: In a large mixing bowl beat together the egg and milk. Add 1 cup flour, remaining salt and baking powder and mix all together. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly. Add 1 tablespoon of the parsley and mix. In 6 large spoonfuls, drop dumpling mixture onto the top of the simmering chicken. Cover the pot and let all simmer for 10 minutes more.
• To Make Gravy: Remove chicken and dumplings to a large serving bowl. Cover and set aside, keeping warm. Strain the stock left in the pot, pressing out any 'veggie liquid'. Return stock to pot. Combine water with remaining flour, then stir into the strained stock. Bring all to a boil, stirring constantly, to thicken. Return chicken and dumplings to pot, combing all gently. Serve with remaining parsley.

Steps:

• To prepare the dumplings, in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, parsley and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a simmer over low heat; season with black pepper. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• In a second large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and sweet potatoes. Cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer. Add the chicken and thyme.
• Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into the simmering stock. Cover and simmer until the dumplings and chicken are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. (The best way to see if the dumplings are cooked is to remove one from the pot and let it cool slightly. Using a chef's knife, halve the dumpling. If the center looks dry, it is cooked. If the dumpling looks gummy or wet, let them cook a bit longer.)
• Stir in the spinach; cover and continue cooking for an additional 30 to 45 seconds. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into warmed bowls and serve immediately.