Chicken and Dumplings

Makes 6 to 8 servings as a meal, 8 to 10 side servings

A steaming tureen of chicken and dumplings graced the table at many Sunday suppers when I was growing up. This is one recipe I didn’t learn from my mom before she passed away, so Judith Anne Tweedy, one of my mom’s dear friends, took me under her wing and taught me her delicious version. Mike says this dish is best when made with a big, old hen—a 6- to 8-pounder (good luck finding one). —Amy

• One 5- to 6-pound chicken
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium celery stalks, diced
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chicken base (such as Better Than Bouillon)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
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• Dumplings
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (we use King Arthur), plus more for dusting
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Remove the packet of innards from the cavity of the chicken. Rinse and reserve the heart, gizzards, and neck; discard the liver. Mix the salt, pepper, and granulated garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over the chicken and pat to help it adhere.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep stockpot over medium-high heat and cook the onion and celery for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are translucent and there are lots of nice brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove and reserve.

Put the chicken in the pot, breast down. Throw in the heart, gizzards, and neck as well. Cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes, until the chicken begins to brown. Add enough cold water to cover the chicken by 1 inch. Add the bay leaves, carrots, reserved sautéed vegetables, and the chicken base. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour, until a thigh reaches 165° on an instant-read thermometer. Stick a large wooden spoon down into the cavity of the chicken and carefully lift the chicken out of the pot. Let the broth drain back into the pot. Put the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Fish out the heart, gizzards, and neck; add to the baking sheet with the chicken. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Scoop out ¾ cup of the broth for the dumplings and set it aside to cool in the refrigerator. Pour another cup of the broth into a small bowl and whisk in the flour to make a slurry. Set aside.

Taste the remaining broth and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Keep the broth on a low simmer while you’re making the dumplings and deboning the chicken.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Separate the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Cut the meat into 2- to 3-inch pieces and return to the baking sheet. Chop up the heart and gizzards and pull any meat from the neck; add to the chicken. Discard the neck bone. Loosely cover and set aside.

For the dumplings: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously dust a clean work surface with flour. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then beat in the oil and the reserved ¾ cup broth. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Use your fingers to toss the flour and liquid together, just enough to combine. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands, until it’s evenly mixed. Turn it out onto the work surface and divide in half. Roll each half out to a ⅛-inch thickness. Slice the dough diagonally into 2-inch-wide strips, then slice in the opposite direction to form diamonds 2 to 3 inches long. Dust the dumplings with flour, separate, and carefully transfer to the baking sheet.

Add 1 quart water to the simmering broth, stir to combine, and taste and adjust the salt and pepper again. Bring to a boil. Drop the dumplings one by one into the boiling broth, stirring gently as you add them. Reduce the heat and simmer until the dumplings are tender, about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring gently to prevent clumping. Add a bit of the reserved flour-broth slurry and stir until the broth thickens as desired. It should be a pale golden color.

Gently stir in the chicken and continue to simmer until heated through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley just before serving.