Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings is Appalachian soul food — a dish born from making the most of a stewing hen and a handful of pantry staples. The dropped dumpling style (fluffy, cloud-like) is distinct from the flat, noodle-type dumplings of the deeper South. Both trace their roots to the colonial period when one-pot cooking over a hearth was the norm. This is the dish grandmothers made when someone was sick, cold, or heartbroken, and it has never stopped working.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg (3 lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into coins
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp (2 g) dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the dumplings:

• 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 10 g (2 tsp) baking powder
• 1 tsp (6 g) salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted butter

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, brown chicken skin-side down in a drizzle of oil, 5 minutes. Flip and cook 3 minutes more. Remove and set aside.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery to pot. Cook over medium heat 6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Return chicken to pot. Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 35 minutes.
4. Remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, pull meat from bones and shred. Discard bones and skin. Return meat to pot. Discard bay leaves.
5. For dumplings: whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk and melted butter until just combined — lumps are fine; do not overmix.
6. Bring stew to a steady simmer. Drop heaping tablespoons of dumpling batter over the surface. Cover and cook without lifting the lid for 15 minutes until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.

Cook's Notes: Resist lifting the lid during dumpling cooking — steam is doing the work. For a richer broth, stir in 60 ml (1/4 cup) heavy cream just before adding dumplings.