Chicken and Dumplins

This recipe is my “claim to fame!”  Ths basic recipe is the method my Mother used for making mouth watering dumplings for as long as I can remember. She just finally “wrote out” the recipe, and added the DO NOT STIR!!!  just for me.

Watch the video here. Chicken and Dumplins

Mother always made the chicken and dumplins for church dinners and family gatherings, and when she was no longer able to cook, I started making them. And, like Mother, when we  have them for church dinners, when it’s over – there’s nothing left of them but “the smell!”

Recipe:

5LB +/- stewing chicken (I usually use fryer parts, plus a couple of additional breast parts because we like a lot of meat in the dumplings)

Wash chicken in cold water. If using a whole chicken, remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken.

Fill a 4qt. pot 1/2 full of water. add 1 tsp. +/- salt.  Cook chicken on med. heat until “fork” done.

(fork through the thighs of a whole chicken – when they break apart, it’s done) Approx. 2 hr. for a hen this size, or this much meat.  As the chicken begins to cook, skim off the excess foam from the liquid.

While the chicken is cooking, mix dough for dumplings.

4c. self rising flour

1/2 c. Crisco                        (mix as if for pastry except knead much more than pastry)

1c. +/- ice water

Sift flour and work Crisco into it until it resembles coarse crumbs. When all mixed, add ice water a little at a time and blend with a fork.  When this is all mixed and thoroughly “wet”, (but not “soupy”) empty dough out on a floured surface and knead until it’s firm, working a little flour into it as you go. (I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think you can knead it too much. It kinda depends on whether you like your dumplings soft or firm. We prefer them firm)

Wrap dough in plastic wrap (or I save bread bags for this purpose) and refrigerate until ready to use.

When the chicken is done, remove from broth and put on a tray or biscuit pan for deboning.

*NOTE* If you need to wait about finishing the dish – debone chicken and put it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Stir 1 can Cream of Chicken soup into broth.  Stir with a slotted spoon until all of soup is dissolved.  Let broth come to a slow boil.  Add salt and pepper as desired.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and pinch off about a “softball” size portion. On a well floured surface, knead more if needed until real stiff.  Roll out very thin.  Cut strips with a table knife about 3/4 – 1″ wide.  Break pieces off each strip and drop into broth where it’s boiling. (Drop into bubbles)  Turn heat down a little and cook slowly. Repeat until you use all the dough, or as much as desired.

DO NOT STIR!!!!

If you need to separate dumplings, take side handles of pot and shake lightly to cover the dumplings. It’s ok to gently lift the dumplings with a spoon, but don’t stir the pot.

When the dumplings are done, (about 20 min. +/- depending on how thick they are) put the deboned chicken in kettle and, again, shake gently to cover the meat.  Turn off to “steep” together.

If the broth seems too thin, it’s ok to add a little flour to thicken, or likewise if it’s too thick, add a little water to thin- Serve piping hot.

I usually cook this dish on Saturday, for Sunday Dinner, so therefore, I usually make my broth a little thin so that as I heat it in the microwave it doesn’t get too thick.

Another method for “event” cooking is to cook the chicken and make the dough up one day, refrigerate the broth and deboned chicken, and then actually “create” the dumplins on another day, so that they are fresh. It is also much easier to store jars of broth in the refrigerator than to try to find room for several bowls of chicken and dumplins!