Saturday, January 29, 2011

Chicken N Dumplins






I was talkin' to my Momma this mornin' and she asked me how my blog was doin'? and if I'd been puttin' up any good recipes. I told her I was kinda strugglin' cause I just didn't know what I wanted to make. I tend to cook in a circle over here. We repeat so much for dinner.

My mom still has dial-up! (poor gal) and she hasn't seen my blog yet, but she tells everyone about it!
She told me that they had met up with my Uncle's family to celebrate my (Paternal) Grandpa's birthday and she was asking the wives of two of my cousins if they read my blog. They said that they didn't but my cousin piped up that he had been!

The whole reason I'm telling you this is because one of my Cousins-in-law told my  Momma that she has been hungry for 'Chicken N Noodles'. Her Grandma used to make it and her Mom and her do not have the
 recipe. Now, I'm not sure exactly what she's wanting but anytime I hear that and it doesn't pertain to chicken noodle soup, I think of Chicken n' Dumplins'!!! And that is what we are having! But I don't think it would be a problem at all to add those Delicious Frozen noodles in place of the Dumplins or just cut the dough into strips.

I didn't have a recipe of my own on hand. (My maternal Granfather has a recipe that he likes to call 'Roden Slickers' NOT RODENT!! just to clarify RODEN, that's a family name. and I know I'm going to regret saying this, but I was in a hurry so I googled!)


So, this post is for my CIL Tracey!
I wish you could come over this evening and share a bowl with me and tell me if it tastes anything
like your Grandma's did. (and if it didn't I'd tweak it for ya!)
But, you'll just have to make it yourself and try it out on Josh and Abe!! 



Chop your celery and onions 


Boil chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, chicken boullion cubes and PD House Seasoning in water
until chicken juices run clear (about 40 minutes)


While the chicken is boiling start making your dumplins

Mix flour and salt together and form it into a mound



Drizzle a small amount of water at a time over the flour.
Mix together using your fingers


Knead the dough, form into a ball and place on a well floured surface.




Roll out dough to about an 1/8 inch thickness
(it will be firm) and let it relax




cut into 1 inch squares




When the chicken is done, take out of the pot and let it cool
(I placed mine in the freezer for a bit so I could handle it)
Pull it off the bone.
(you can also use boneless chicken tenders or breasts)


Return chicken to pot, add cream of chicken or mushroom soup
and simmer gently over medium-low heat

If you want to thicken the stew now would be the good time to do so.
Simply mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water then whisk this mixture into the stew.



Pull a 1 inch square apart and drop into simmering soup.
Repeat until all pieces are in the pot.



Do not stir once all the dumplings have been added.
Gently move the pot in a circular motion until the dumplings become submerged.
Cook until they start to float, about 4 to 5 minutes.




Serve up the chicken, gravy and dumplins into warm bowls and ENJOY!!


Paula Deen's Chicken and Dumplings Recipe


Chicken:
  • 1 (2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves (I used about 1/2 tsp dried Thyme)
  • 2 chicken boullion cubes
  • 1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup 

Dumplings:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Ice water

Directions

To start the chicken: Place the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in a large pot. Add 4 quarts of water and in water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the thigh juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat to the pot. Keep warm over low heat.
To prepare the dumplings: Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about 3/4 cup of ice water. Knead the dough and form it into ball.
Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm), working from center to 1/8-inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.
Add the cream of celery soup to the pot with the chicken and simmer gently over medium-low heat.
Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Repeat. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes.
To serve, ladle chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls.
Cook's Note: If the chicken stew is too thin it can be thickened before the dumplings are added. Simply mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water then whisk this mixture into the stew.


*Sorry about the switchin' between correct grammer, dialect and such, but recipes like this just take me back to my roots and talkin' and then my propper side kicks in......so I just left it!*



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm all over it, that looks SO GOOD.

Contessa said...

This looks amazing! We are having a family get together on Sunday and I am going to try my hand at this! Thanks!