re: Chicken and Dumplings - (photos)

Big upvote from me. Leave out the carrots and it isn’t far off from what I grew up on

I took your text and condensed it a bit to a recipe format I can print and attempt, with slight personal-preference changes like dicing or chopping the veg for the stock (Serious Eats tests showed diced aromatics makes better broth than whole LINK) and adjusting the size of the dumplings from 2x3 to 1x3 based on how the pic looks.

Thanks for posting your recipe with all the pics.


Chicken & Dumplings
Meridian Dog

Makes 12 large servings

Ingredients:

6 lb. hen, large chicken, or equivalent bone-in chicken parts
Optional: chicken bouillon cube or Better than Bouillon

5 stalks of celery
2 onions
2 whole carrots, peeled or scrubbed clean

water
kosher salt
black pepper

5+ cups self rising flour
1/3 cup Crisco shortening

3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup milk

The Stock

In a large pot, put the hen or chicken (cut up), three sticks of celery, onion, two carrots, (dice or rough chop the veg) half tablespoon of kosher salt, half tablespoon of black pepper, and three quarts of water.

A six pound hen will need to be cooked at a low boil with a lid for at least two or three hours to get tender. This dish demands a good chicken stock.

Remove chicken, strain the stock, and return strained stock to the pot. A chicken bouillon cube or Better Than Bouillon can be added to the pot if you like to help provide a little more salt and flavor to the stock after removing the vegetables and chicken and tasting for flavor and saltiness.

Add 1/2 of an onion (diced) and two stalks of celery (diced) and simmer them in the broth until they are soft. While the chicken is cooling and the vegetables are cooking in the broth (which is kept hot until the dish is finished) you will make the dumplings.

After the chicken cools a bit, pull the meat from the bones and separate into small pieces.


The Dumplings

Dumplings are made with hot broth—as hot as you can stand. Add 1/3 cup of shortening to 5 cups flour and mix well, until crumbly. Using your fingers is fine.

Add 3 cups of the strained hot broth and mix until incorporated. This makes a damp dough. A little flour can be added if needed, to dry the dough up a little and make it easier to handle.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Can use a sheet pan as a work area. Work the dough at once or in portions, whichever is easier, and shape it into a loaf. Allow dough to rest for a few minutes.

While the dough rests, make a beurre manié from 3 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of softened butter. Set aside.

Roll dough out 1/8" thick and cut into 1" x 3" strips or the size you prefer.

By now, the vegetables in the stock should be soft. Bring the stock to a full boil. Begin gently adding the dumplings one or two at a time.

Do not stir the dumplings! Use a spoon to gently push them under the surface. They are easily broken apart before they are done.

The dumplings will swell and thicken. The stock will begin to cloud up and thicken.

When all dumplings have been added, reduce heat to as low as possible (or off if using a heavy pot that retains heat well) and cover the pot. Allow gentle heat to complete the cooking for 5-10 minutes. Too much heat will make the dumplings stick or scorch.

Taste a dumpling after about 5 minutes. You’ll know if it is done or if another five minute rest is needed to complete the cooking. Do not stir.

When the dumplings are done, check the liquid for thickness. This is a personal preference. Some like it thin and some like it thick. To make it thick and creamy, gently stir in 1 cup of milk and the beurre manié thickener.

Gently fold the pulled chicken into the dumplings.

Add a teaspoon or two of fresh cracked black pepper.

Serve in a bowl or on a plate, depending on thickness.

REHEATING: Dumplings do not freeze well. You will be disappointed if you try. Leftover dumplings can be refrigerated for a couple of days, but they will suck up the available liquid while stored. To reheat, add water, milk or chicken broth and microwave until warm enough to eat.