Annette Brandes (Cape Coral, Florida)
Serves 6–8
This is Annette’s husband’s favorite Southern comfort meal. His mother cooked a meal that was similar to this one.
1 cup salt
¼ cup black pepper
¼ cup garlic powder
1 (2½ lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon House Seasoning (see above)
4 quarts water
1 (10¾ oz.) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Ice water
Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Yields 1½ cups.
Place the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in a large pot. Add 4 quarts of water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the thigh juices run clear (about 40 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pot, and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat to the pot. Add the cream of celery soup to the pot with the chicken, and simmer gently over medium-low heat.
Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about ¾ cup of ice water. Knead the dough and form it into a ball.
Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm), working from the center to ⅛-inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.
Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Repeat. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy (3 to 4 minutes).
To serve, ladle the chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls.
Chef’s Tip
If the chicken stew is too thin, it can be thickened before the dumplings are added. Simply mix together a slurry of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and ¼ cup of cold water in a separate container. Then whisk this mixture into the stew and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stew should come to desired consistency. If still thin, add another slurry.