+GFO +SFO
My mom (Alex’s grandma) made the best chicken and dumplings. The dumplings and the gravy-like sauce that she cooked them in made the dish. It took us four years to master this vegan recipe, and now that we have, we’re so excited to share it with you. We used jackfruit as a substitution for the chicken, and instead of re-inventing the dumplings, we used vegan butter and unsweetened almond milk. Other than that, the perfectly tender dumplings are exactly the same as we remember. —LM + AM
SERVES 4 TO 6
1 (20-oz [565-g]) can young jackfruit in brine
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 cups (154 g) chopped mushrooms, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp (2 g) dried Italian seasoning
¼ cup (60 ml) white wine
32 oz (907 ml) no-chicken broth or vegetable broth (we use Pacific brand)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1½ cups (200 g) frozen peas
DUMPLINGS
2 cups (253 g) all-purpose flour (or use gluten-free)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp dried thyme
Black pepper, to taste
½ cup (116 g) vegan butter, melted (use soy-free)
½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk plus
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, whisked to combine
ROUX
¼ cup (58 g) vegan butter (use soy-free)
¼ cup (32 g) all-purpose flour (use gluten-free)
⅓ cup (80 ml) plus 1 tbsp (15 ml) unsweetened almond milk
FOR THE CHIK’N
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Drain and rinse the jackfruit really well, and then squeeze the excess water out. Rinse it one more time and squeeze the excess water out of the fruit. Spread the fruit out evenly on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly dried out. Allow the fruit to cool and then shred it with two forks or in a food processor.
In a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots, and cook for about 7 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 7 minutes, or until they release their water and begin to brown. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Deglaze the pan with the wine, making sure to scrape up all stuck-on pieces. Add the broth, salt and pepper, shredded jackfruit and peas, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, parsley, thyme and pepper until fully combined. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour the melted butter and almond milk in the well. Stir the mixture together until combined and you don’t see any dry flour. The dough will be firm yet slightly sticky. Set aside.
FOR THE ROUX
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour until it forms a thick paste. Whisk in the milk and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Whisk it into the broth mixture until completely combined. It will thicken as it cooks.
Drop golf ball–size pieces of the dumpling dough into the broth. Drop them evenly to cover the top. Cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, or until they’re firm to the touch.