Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is a Southern American home-style dish where chicken thighs, carrot, onion, and celery simmer in chicken stock, then spoonfuls of a simple flour-and-baking-powder batter are dropped on top and steamed under a covered lid. The chicken is simmered for fifteen minutes, shredded along the grain, and returned to the pot - shredding allows the broth to penetrate the meat more deeply than cubing would. The vegetables release natural sugars into the stock, building a layered savory base. Once the dumpling batter goes in, the lid must stay closed for a full twelve minutes so trapped steam puffs the dough into light, pillowy rounds; opening early lets steam escape and leaves the dumplings flat and dense. The finished dumplings are soft on the outside and bread-like inside, absorbing the rich broth with each bite.
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Instructions
- 1
Melt butter in a pot and sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes.
- 2
Add chicken thighs, sear lightly, then add stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 3
Mix flour, baking powder, and milk to form a thick dumpling batter.
- 4
Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot.
- 5
Drop spoonfuls of batter into the stew, cover, and cook for 12 minutes.
- 6
Once dumplings are puffed and cooked through, adjust seasoning and serve.
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