Chicken and dumplings

I specifically remember the first time I had chicken and dumplings, growing up in Mississippi. The dish was served in a huge stock pot, set right on the counter. It wasn’t the main dish but part of a huge spread — you know how those Southern church dinners are. The dumplings, like biscuits but lighter and fluffier, were my favorite part.

Now, does anyone see what’s wrong with this story? I didn’t either, until I learned that “chicken and pastry” is what they eat in the South. The biscuit-like dumplings are the Yankee version.

My childhood memory is ruined!!!

Just kidding. I’ve had the flat noodles of chicken and pastry fame. And I like the drop dumplings better. So I set out to make this recipe, hoping it was as delicious as Ms. Martha’s. It was pretty darn close.

Chicken and Dumplings
Serves 3-4 | Adapted from FoodNetwork.com
2 split chicken breasts, on the bone
Salt, pepper
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. flour
3 cups chicken stock (I had homemade from my last roasted chicken; to see how to make your own just for this dish, check out the original recipe)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Lift skin and sprinkle meat liberally with salt and pepper. Pull skin back over top of breast. Roast 30 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and let cool. Then, remove meat from skin and bone and shred. Set aside.

In high-sided cast iron skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Add in flour and stir to coat veggies. Cook another 2 minutes. Slowly pour in chicken stock while stirring and scraping bottom of skillet. Let sauce simmer 15 minutes, or until it thickens.

Meanwhile, make dumpling batter.

For the dumplings
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg

Stir vinegar into milk. Let sit 10 minutes, until milk begins to curdle. (This is a substitute for buttermilk. I didn’t have any buttermilk around, and I wasn’t going to buy a half-gallon just for this recipe.)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, beat egg with curdled milk. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir until just incorporated.

To finish dish: Fold shredded chicken into broth. Drop dumpling batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into broth. Let dumplings poach for 15 minutes. Season tops of dumplings with salt and pepper.