CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

This is a really good one...although, half the family claims this style of dumplings to be German, and the other half say it’s French (Joie, any opinion?). These dumplings are made more like a sort of noodle rather than an American biscuit or doughy spoonful of half-cooked goo. I think this is what I like so much about my dumplings as opposed to anything you can get in a restaurant or at a friend’s house for dinner.

I thought this would be a good down-home comfort-food style recipe to post in honour of my late Aunt Ruth. She passed away this week after an awful struggle with diabetes and associated complications. She was a real countrified lady who knew her way around a kitchen. I remember her house was always full of music, laughter, and usually a pot-luck style feast for about 20 people or so! She was a real biscuits & gravy, country fried steak, deep fried southern-style chicken, Johnny Cash & Loretta Lynn lovin’ woman.

Aunt Ruth raised some great kids with the help of her husband, my late Uncle Lew, despite not having much in the way of money much of the time. They were never short on love. Her family have all had great faith, strength, and now a knowledge that their Mom is in a far greater place...with the man she loved for most of her life, and the daughter she had recently lost to the angels. Aunt Ruth was a kind and thoughtful wife, mother, aunt, and granny.

The weather is chilling down here now...not much like the heavenly warmth of Hawaii over the last couple of weeks...and I am hankerin’ for some real comfort food, so I hope you try and enjoy this family favourite that my folks shared with me and, that I am now passing on to you.

SOUP ~ INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Chicken Pieces, with skin preferred (I use boneless thighs and/or breasts)
*Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, paprika to taste
½ Cup Flour
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
2 Celery Stalks, roughly chopped
1 Med Onion, roughly chopped
1-2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
4 Cups Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 – 2 Cups Hot Water - optional

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First lightly season and flour the chicken pieces, and then lightly coat with flour.

Now, in your soup/stock pot, heat oil and quickly brown the coated chicken pieces then move them onto a separate plate to the side for a moment.

Next, add the butter and quickly heat the carrots, celery and onion before adding the garlic and cooking an additional minute.

Return the chicken and add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add hot water if you like more broth in your soup, otherwise this will become quite thick and gravy-like.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer.

Now it’s time to make the dumplings...


DUMPLING ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Chicken Fat, skimmed from soup (or oil)
1 Egg
**1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

**Only add a bit at a time, enough to bring dumpling dough together into non-sticky firm ball for rolling flat.

DIRECTIONS:

Sift all dry ingredients together into a medium bowl and slowly mix in the fat/oil and the egg.

Carefully add the milk in just a bit at a time until the dough is fully combined and the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, but dough is not sticky. (If the dough becomes sticky, just add a spoonful of flour at a time until the consistency is right.)

Now add the parsley and knead gently on a floured surface.

Roll the dough into a rectangle only about ½ Cm (¼ In) thick and then, using a sharp knife, slice into ribbons and then again crossways into little squares.

Carefully drop the dumplings into the soup and allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy this one – it’s simply delicious.