Southern Comfort · Free
Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Tender pulled chicken in a creamy, herb-flecked broth with pillowy rolled dumplings that melt in your mouth. Pure stick-to-your-ribs comfort in a bowl.
****+
Prep 25 min · Cook 60 min
Method
Place the chicken, stock, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partly covered, for 30 minutes.
Check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), then lift the pieces out onto a plate to cool.
Strain the broth if you like a cleaner soup, or leave the vegetables in for a heartier dish, and discard the bay leaves. Keep the broth at a low simmer.
While the chicken cools, make the dumpling dough by whisking the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
Cut the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs, then stir in the milk just until a soft dough forms; do not overmix.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out to about a quarter inch thick, then cut it into 1 by 2 inch rectangles with a knife or pizza cutter.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bones.
Bring the broth back up to a steady simmer, then drop the dumpling pieces in one at a time so they do not clump together.
Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook for 12 to 15 minutes without stirring too much, until they are puffed and cooked through in the center.
Stir the shredded chicken and the heavy cream back into the pot and warm through for 5 minutes, letting the broth thicken slightly from the dumpling starch.
Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper, then ladle into bowls and serve piping hot.
Chef's tips
- For flatter, silkier dumplings roll the dough thin; for fluffier ones drop small spoonfuls of a slightly wetter dough instead.
- Resist over-stirring once the dumplings go in, or they can break apart and turn the broth cloudy.
- A rotisserie chicken and boxed stock make a fine shortcut when you are short on time.
Cooking times vary by equipment -- cook to temperature and to taste.
