One of my all time favorite dinners as a kid was my Granny's Chicken and Dumplings. It oozes comfort when you eat it and smells like home when its cooking! This stuff is "down-home" cooking at its best! (Plus, I read somewhere that if you can make a good soup, you can cook anything. True? Who knows.)
Being at Granny's for dinner was always a treat. (And NOT just because you knew you had a good shot of following it up with some strawberries dipped in powdered sugar!--life was so simple as a kid!)
There were so many good dinners to look forward to, but after a crisp fall day, or on a freezing cold winter night, Chicken and Dumplings was the best.
When I got married, and prior when I was in college, as well, my Granny began giving me all sorts of recipes. I made many of them in attempt to hone a skill that was now necessary in my life. Feeding myself, and my new husband! I would scour the recipes she sent me, in hopes of re-creating great meals of the past, and some tasty ones she would find from the latest cooking shows or magazines. Every time I cooked, I had questions. I called her frequently. In fact, I probably had her on speed dial. She, having been the "main" person who taught me what I knew about most things food related, helped bring me into my own, while I attempted any number of foodstuffs.
One such time was a chilly fall evening, probably during my first year of marriage. I set out to attempt a lovely pot of chicken and dumplings. My husband, having not been born in Kentucky, aka the "south," was not too keen on the fact that I would not be putting noodles in his chicken soup. But I pressed on. I called Granny to ask her to tell me how to make Chicken and Dumplings, she gave me the recipe, walked me through everything, and I was off. I cut the veggies, put the seasonings in, the broth, chicken, etc. Now for the dumplings...SIDE NOTE: I had written out the recipe for "Drop biscuits/Dumplings." You just had to make few changes to achieve one over the other. Well, I mixed the dumplings(or so I thought), then dropped them by spoonful into my steaming soup, put the top on, waited 12 minutes--all the while hearing in my head, "do NOT take the lid off! Do NOT take the lid off for TWELVE minutes!!" Okay, so I didn't. While I waited I set our little table for two. Bowls, napkins, spoons, drinks. Good. BEEEP! The timer!
"It's ready, honey!" I say. We sit down. I take the lid off. Something is not right. My whole entire soup was filled with....a thick floury mess, not soft puffy dumplings. It was gross looking and it was inedible. I immediately begin to cry--I was a new wife. My husband, loving, caring man that he is. Says, "Oh, I am sure it will taste fine!" Well, it wasn't fine. I can't remember exactly what we did eat, but I do know that it wasn't chicken and dumplings!
I learned 2 things that night: 1)Don't try to make dumplings out of drop biscuits (and vice versa), and
2) always have a backup plan. Oh, and I don't think, even 11+ years later, I EVER put the lid on my pot after dropping my dumplings in, without throwing up a quick prayer to St. Zita, patron saint of homemakers. Ever.
Fortunately for me, and all those in my family, Chicken and Dumplings has turned from failure to a big success in my house. In fact, every one 3 out of the 4 "eating" children (Aidan will eat almost nothing that has anything green in it) LOVE this meal. It has even been requested as a birthday dinner! Now, you KNOW you hit the yummy dinner jackpot when that happens!
Granny's Chicken and Dumplings
The Soup:
3-4 ribs Chopped celery
3Chopped carrots(I like carrots in mine, so maybe i add extra)
1 chopped onion
Olive oil
Salt, Pepper
Seasonings(such as thyme, sage, tarragon, Poultry Seasoning) I
1 qt. Chicken Broth/Stock (Homemade is great, but not necessary)
Chicken, shredded or diced(to your preference--this is a great time to use leftover chicken, or rotisserie, but fresh is fine...just add and cook through, then remove to shred)
Sautee the vegetables in a soup pot(I use my Dutch oven, because we love each other, but you can just use a soup pot with lid) Olive Oil until soft
Season with salt, pepper, and seasonings(I like Poultry seasoning myself-although a blend of fresh and dried, is nice)
Add stock, and add shredded chicken(If raw, cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through). After the cooked chicken is added, check for salt and seasoning. I usually give a few more pinches of salt, pepper, and seasonings here. TASTE. You cant always depend on "amounts," you have to taste your food. That's why the old adage: "don't trust a skinny cook" exists, or maybe it's not, but you get the point. You can also add water at this stage. I find I had about half as much water as stock. But you can do one-to-one if you want. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Taste and season again. You are ready to add dumplings.
The DUMPLINGS(big yummy FLUFFY dumplings, no hard little flour balls here):
1 cup All Purpose Flour(Now, I am a BIG proponent of all things whole grain, but I dont mess with these)
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3-1/2 cup milk(your "batter" should not be soupy...start with the lesser amount)
1 egg
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Lightly beat egg and milk together. Pour the milk/egg into flour, and mix with a fork or spoon until just mixed. Don't over mix. Let sit for a minute or two. Then into your slightly bubbling soup, drop by tablespoonful into soup. Until batter is all gone. Your "surface" should have little lumps of batter covering it now(They'll float to the top after dropping them in).
IMPORTANT STEP: put lid on and DON'T REMOVE for 12 minutes. Set timer. (Here say your prayer to St. Zita. Go on, do it. Okay)
After your timer rings, take your lid off and see how beautifully puffy your dumplings are. You're welcome. They are tremendous things, aren't they?
(I have learned that I am not the best food photographer, so if this picture is not appetizing, I assure you, it is photographer error!)
Okay, now, ring the dinner bell and dig in!! You'll thank me, well my Granny, later.
