We'll All Have Chicken and Dumplins When She Comes... Oh, We'll All Have Chicken And Dumplins When She Comes.....

We'll be havin' chicken and dumplins. We'll be havin' chicken and dumplins. Oh we'll all have chicken and dumplins when she comes.

OK, that is enough of my horrible singing... In case you haven't figured out what this post is going to be about. I made Chicken and Dumplins for my grandmother while she came (around the mountain) to visit from The Dalles, which just happens to be on the other side of Mt. Hood (Wy-East). LOL

I had to do some quick study on dumpling physics, after all, I like fluffy dumplings. Then it hit me, dumplings are pretty much like Matzo Balls. The bottom side of the dumpling is simmered in liquid while the top side of the dumpling is steamed. The only difference between the two is that Dumplings are made from flour while Matzo Balls are made from, well, Matzo.

This in conjunction with a little Baking powder (as little as possible, cause it has a bitter taste) makes for a delicious 'stick to your ribs' type of soup. Awesome!

Chicken n' Dumplins

2 TB Olive Oil
6 oz Celery, diced
4 oz Leek
1/2 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay)
1 4lb Chicken
Enough water to Cover the Chicken
1 TB Sage, ground
2 tsp Thyme, ground
1 tsp Marjoram, ground
1/2 tsp Rosemary, ground
pinch of clove
1 1/2 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 TB Butter
3/4 cup Whole Milk

First, heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high flame.

Add the Celery and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add the Leek and sauté 2 minutes longer (Careful, leeks burn easily)

Remove the vegetables from the stock pot and deglaze with 1/2 cup dry white wine.
Add the whole chicken and enough water to just cover it, cover and bring to a simmer for 1 -1 1/2 hours. (you want the chicken to be falling off the bone)

Remove the chicken to a plate and de-bone the meat, removing the skin while continuing to simmer the resulting stock. (strain the stock and return to the pot if you wish)

When you are finished de-boning, add the resulting meat back to the stock pot along with the previously sautéed vegetables and bring the stock pot back to a simmer, covered.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cut in the butter with your fingers of with a pastry cutter then add the milk and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.

Scoop out hunks of dough from the bowl (I made a bakers dozen 13)

and drop them into the simmering stock.

Then cover and let the dumplings steam/simmer for about 15 minutes.

Season with Salt and Pepper, then Serve in large bowls.

YUM-O-RAMA! Nice and Fluffy.

Mangia!!
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