Chicken and Slicks
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A distant cousin to chicken and dumplings, chicken and slicks offers tender chicken
in a rich, flavorful broth but swaps the traditional biscuit-style dumpling for a
thick, chewy, noodlelike version. For a flavorful base, we browned the chicken before
simmering it in the broth; bone-in pieces provided the best flavor. While authentic
recipes call for lard in the slicks, we replaced it with more readily available vegetable
oil, plus some of the rendered fat from our chicken. Cooking the slicks in an already
thickened broth caused them to break apart, so we cooked them in the broth before
adding toasted flour to thicken it. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
SERVES 4 TO 6
If you’re short on chicken fat at the end of step 1, supplement it with vegetable oil.
|
1½ |
pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed |
|
2 |
(12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, halved crosswise and trimmed |
|
Salt and pepper |
|
|
6 |
tablespoons plus 2 cups all-purpose flour |
|
3 |
tablespoons vegetable oil |
|
1 |
onion, chopped |
|
2 |
teaspoons minced fresh thyme |
|
7½ |
cups chicken broth |
|
2 |
bay leaves |
|
¼ |
cup chopped fresh parsley |
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Toast 6 tablespoons flour in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer flour to medium bowl and wipe out pot. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until browned all over, about 10 minutes; transfer to plate. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Pour fat (you should have about 2 tablespoons) into small bowl; reserve.
2. Add onion and 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 7 cups broth, chicken, and bay leaves and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to clean plate. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding bones.
3. Meanwhile, combine remaining ½ cup chicken broth, reserved fat, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in liquid measuring cup. Process remaining 2 cups flour and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until combined. With processor running, slowly pour in broth mixture and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide in half.
4. Roll each dough half into 10-inch square about ⅛ inch thick. Cut each square into twenty 5 by 1-inch rectangles. Place handful of noodles in single layer on parchment paper–lined plate, cover with another sheet of parchment, and repeat stacking with remaining noodles and additional parchment, ending with parchment. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
5. Return broth to simmer and add noodles. Cook until noodles are nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to separate. Remove 1 cup broth from pot and whisk into reserved toasted flour. Stir broth-flour mixture into pot, being careful not to break up noodles, and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and parsley and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.