Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

Old Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings Recipe from scratch.

Homemade broth with a little sage added for southern style taste.

I grew up with this classic dish.

Sunday was Chicken Day in our home, because we often had company for dinner, our mid-day meal.

Mama spent Saturdays preparing for Sunday.

That meant catching the chicken and baking cakes and pies that didn't need refrigerated.

My twin sister and I rounded up the chicken that mama cooked, from what we called the chicken pin.

What we called a chicken pen back in those days was just a fenced in area so the chickens wouldn't wander out in the highway.

I hated catching those birds!

But, I loved the Sunday chicken dinners.

Preachers weren't paid back then.

So they were invited to a church member's home for dinner after Sunday's service.

One never knew whose home he would visit, so we were always prepared with a chicken dinner after church.

Luckily, he loved chicken.

Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

• 4 lbs. chicken*
  
  
• 4 quarts water
  
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
  
  

Cut up chicken.

Wash in basin or under running water until water runs clear.

Put chicken, water, salt and rubbed sage into a large soup cooking pot or a Dutch Oven.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover with a tight fitting lid.

Simmer 2 hours or until chicken is done.

It will be tender when stuck with a fork and will begin turning loose from the bone.

Remove from heat and cool.

Place chicken pieces in a bowl.

Remove and discard bones, skins, and gristle.

Strain and measure broth that the chicken was cooked in.

If you don't have enough, add extra water.

Dumplings

• 3 quarts, plus 1 1/2 cups broth
  
  
• 3 cups plain flour
  
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 4 tablespoons butter
  
  

Return 3 quarts broth to large pan.

Add butter.

Sprinkle sage on top.

Bring to a hard rolling boil.

While broth is coming to a boil, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a small mixing bowl.

Slowly, add only enough of the broth, mixing gently with a spoon or your hands, until the flour is moistened and it forms a ball.

Place dough onto a lightly floured pastry cloth.

I use a clean kitchen towel on top of a flat surface.

Roll the dough with a floured rolling pin or pat with your fingers after dipping them in flour and make a rectangular shape 1/4 inch thick.

Turn dough over and rub a little flour on top to prevent stickiness in handling dumplings.

The flour also serves to thicken the broth into a white gravy.

Cut 1/2 inch strips of dough lengthwise.

Then cut 3/4 inch strips crosswise.

If knife sticks to dough, dip in flour after each cut.

You now have dumplings approximately 1/2" x 3/4" by 1/4" thick. Use up all the dough pieces.

Drop dumplings into boiling broth, one at a time to prevent sticking or clumping together.

When all have been added, stir and reduce heat.

Cover with lid.

Cook 45-50 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent sticking to bottom of pot.

When dumplings are done, add prepared chicken back into pot.

Gently fold the meat in and heat another 10-15 minutes just until chicken is thoroughly heated.


*For this Chicken And Dumplings Recipe you can use a whole chicken or ready cup up chicken.

Legs, thighs, and breasts are especially good for this dish because they have more edible meat per pound and enough fat for a delicious taste.

Tip: Handle dumplings as little as possible while making, so they will use up less flour, be more tender and thoroughly cooked.

Interesting, many old-timers call Chicken And Dumplings recipes Chicken And Pastry.

Related Pages

Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Smothered Chicken Recipe

Return to Chicken Recipes


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