Creamy Chicken & Rolled Dumplings
This is classic comfort food and one of my family’s favorite meals. It’s a creamy, souplike stew, with carrots, celery, shredded chicken, and adorable little dumplings that are rolled and cut by hand.
It doesn’t get any better than a bowl of this.
SERVES 6 TO 8 • TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, unpeeled, coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
8 whole black peppercorns
1 (5-pound) cut-up chicken
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
⅓ cup lard
¾ cup whole milk
FOR THE STEW:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup chopped yellow onion
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, unpeeled, sliced
2½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
Cracked black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- To make the chicken: In a large stockpot, combine the celery, carrot, onion, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Place the chicken pieces over the vegetables and add 10 cups cold water or enough so the chicken is fully submerged.
- Bring the water to a boil; cover the pot, leaving the lid cracked; reduce the temperature to low; and simmer for 1 hour.
- Use tongs to remove the cooked chicken and transfer it to a cutting board to cool. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Strain the broth through the strainer; reserve the poaching liquid and discard the solids. Set aside 8 cups poaching liquid for this recipe; reserve any extra for another use or discard.
- Shred the chicken when cool enough to handle. Set aside 5 cups for this recipe; reserve any extra chicken for another use.
- To make the dumplings: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Use a pastry cutter to blend the lard into the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the milk until a dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ⅛ inch thick. Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or ravioli cutter to trim the dough to make a 14 by 10-inch rectangle and then cut it into ¾-inch squares.
- To assemble: In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the poultry seasoning and the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. While whisking, pour in the reserved 8 cups poaching liquid and the milk, increase the heat to medium, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Drop in the dumplings, one at a time, using a slotted spoon to press them down. Cook the dumplings for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the reserved 5 cups shredded chicken and the parsley and season with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken mixture has thickened. Season with more salt, if desired.
- Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls and garnish with more minced parsley and black pepper.
SIMPLY SCRATCH TIP
To reheat any leftovers, simply place them in a saucepan and reheat slowly over medium-low heat until hot and bubbling.