If you haven’t noticed by now, I have a thing for comfort food. Don’t get me wrong- I’m an appreciator, if not lover, of all cuisines. When done properly, there are very few foods I don’t enjoy, in all honesty. Except capers. I hate capers. But stick-to-your ribs, feels-like-a-giant-hug, wash-it-all-down-with-lots-of-cuddles food is where I shine. Both in the making and in the eating. I’m not from the south, but my tastebuds seem to think otherwise. Set me in front of a table full of fried chicken, barbeque, shrimp and grits, or chicken and dumplings, and I’m done for.
This is my version of chicken and dumplings. It is the dish I make when someone needs a little extra love, and you can taste that in every bite. The silky broth, savory chicken, and exquisitely puffed melt-in-your-mouth dumplings make this dish what I suspect Heaven must serve on chilly evenings.
Ingredients:
Stew:
4 T. bacon fat (or butter)
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 carrots, chopped
4-5 ribs celery, chopped
1/3 c. all purpose flour
4 c. chicken stock
1 c. white wine
1 c. whole milk
1 chicken boullion cube
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 c. whole milk
4 T. butter, melted
zest from half a lemon
pinch of salt
Instructions:
In a large pot, sauté onion in bacon fat over medium/high heat
When onions are translucent, add carrots and celery and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes
Add garlic and cook until vegetables have just started to brown
Add flour to the pot and stir until the flour is absorbed and the vegetables look a bit pasty, cook for about one minute
Add wine to the pot and cook until all of the liquid is gone from the pot
Add chicken stock, stir to combine
Add shredded chicken, bullion cube, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes to the pot, reduce heat to a simmer
While stew is simmering, make the dumpling dough
Stir together melted butter and milk
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest, add milk mixture to flour mixture until it all comes together to form a dough, knead with clean hands until dough is smooth
Add lemon juice, milk, and frozen peas to stew, season with salt and pepper
Drop dough in golfball sized pieces into the stew, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until dumplings have doubled in size
Serve with white wine and lots of buttery, crusty bread. Enjoy!
Serves 6-8
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