Chicken and Dumplings

It’s a creamy stew filled with chunks of tender chicken, bites of new potatoes, sweet onions, carrots, and tiny peas hiding underneath a cloud of plump, fluffy biscuit-like dumplings. And since winter has decided to send in an arctic blast across the South, it’s a perfect time to pull out the recipe for homemade Chicken and Dumplings!

This is an old country dish and one made in many Southern kitchens, with many variations. We have dear friends that we frequently “break bread” with and we love sharing our regional favorites. It’s a reminder how these favorite dishes adapt and take on unique styles from state to state, county to county. Like many soups and stews, this dish takes a little patience to develop a depth in flavors, starting with the base. Stew chicken in a rich stock along with a bounty of herbs of parsley, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves plus aromatics of onions and celery. Toss in some carrots, new potatoes, and crisp peas.

Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, then finish with a bit of flour, more stock, and milk to create a silky base to cook those dumplings. And when it comes to dumplings there are two schools of thought in the South – rolled and cut – or drop dumplings. My Grandmother made the rolled and cut version, but my Mom preferred drop dumplings. They’re much like a biscuit so of course they’re wonderful!

The dumplings in this dish are full of subtle savory notes from a dash of poultry seasoning, ground sage, and parsley.

Comforting and creamy – it’s a wonderful way to warm up on a cold night!

Chicken and Dumplings

3 to 3-½ pounds chicken breasts, preferably bone-in and skin on

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 large sprig fresh rosemary*

8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme*

3 bay leaves

1 cup chopped celery, about 1-½ stalks

1 cup chopped sweet onion, about 1 small onion

9 cups chicken stock, divided

2 teaspoons concentrated chicken base

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1-½ cups sliced carrots, about 4 carrots

3 cups cubed new potatoes, about 3 to 4 potatoes

2 cups organic frozen peas

1-½ cups milk

6 to 8 tablespoons flour

Place the chicken in a Dutch oven with the parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, plus the chopped celery and onion. Add 8 cups of the chicken stock along with the chicken base, kosher salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. *If you can’t find fresh rosemary and thyme, you can substitute for 2 teaspoons dried.

Add the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Remove the chicken from the stock and transfer to a pan until it’s cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bone and shred or chop into bite size pieces. Combine the remaining cup of stock with the milk and the 6 tablespoons of the flour. (If you like a thicker stock, add all the flour.) Whisk until the flour is completely dissolved. Pour the flour mixture into the stew, whisking to blend well. Cook over medium heat until the stock thickens, about 15 minutes. Once the stock has thickened, add the chicken and the peas to the stew.

For the dumplings:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning

¼ teaspoon ground sage

½ teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

¾ to 1 cup milk

Combine the flour with the baking powder, poultry seasoning, ground sage, parsley, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir in ¾ cup milk and mix until blended, adding more milk if needed.

Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, measure out rounds of the dough and gently drop the dumplings on top of the stew. Do not stir!

Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops of the dumplings appear “dry” and no longer sticky to the touch.

Serves 6 to 8.