Chicken and Dumplings Stew. When you hear those words what comes to mind? I immediately think of a comfort old timey recipe that is a rich luxurious Southern icon. So what’s the big deal with Chicken and Dumplings?
{recipe updated on 11/2/17}
Let’s start with the dumplings. I have always been perplexed as to what these actually are? Are they dough balls? Do they have cheese? Are they chicken balls? Dumplings can mean so many things. In this case, the word dumpling actually comes from England and the preparation started around during the Civil War era. Essentially these are little dropped boiled balls of dough. We actually have something similar to them in Venezuela called hallaquitas which are made with corn flour vs wheat flour.
Next up, the chicken. Forget frozen chicken breasts. What makes this soup extra homey and flavorful is the incredible broth that remains by cooking a whole chicken or whole fresh chicken pieces. I prefer using big juicy chicken thighs instead of the whole bird just because I’m lazy and hate prepping a whole chicken. There is nothing better than homemade broth. The flavor, the aroma and the way it somehow heals all ailments. It is truly magical. Yes it does take a bit longer than store-bought broth but totally work the extra step.
The texture to this soup is unlike any other. Originally I thought this soup was loaded with heavy whipping cream, which although delicious, is fatty rich stuff. However the creaminess mostly comes from a simple roux (flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken the sauce). A luscious velvety stew is created as the roux thickens the bubbly chicken broth. No wonder this soup really thrived during the depression era. All the ingredients are humble, inexpensive and readily available. No fancy stuff here. Just good home cooking.
A weeknight meal this is not. Unless you have about 2ish hours to spare. Instead this is a wonder holiday, weekend or cold weather meal. One that will leave you feeling warm, cozy and well fed. In the end you are left with a gorgeous indulgent stew loaded filled with melt-in-your-mouth chicken and bobbing little doughy dumplings bursting with green onions. Make sure you have some crisp white wine to drink and some hearty bread to mop up every last drop.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1 cup buttermilk, feel free to make your own (1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken stock, remaining from cooking the chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
- Extra chopped green onions or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Let sauce simmer until it is thickens, about 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in heavy cream if using. Note: the stew will get thicker over time. So if you make the stew ahead of time or even the day before, it will thicken. Once you heat it up, it will loosen.
- Serve stew with green onions or parsley and a hunk of bread.
Notes
Stew saves beautifully in the fridge or freezer. Great leftover for lunch or dinner. Also this is a wonderful make-ahead meal.
Recipe slightly adapted from Tyler Florence’s Chicken and Dumplings.
Originally posted 2016-04-13 06:06:10.
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