Chicken & Dumplings - An American Classic from America's Test Kitchen

I'm going to tell you about this Chicken 'N Dumplings dish that I made a few weeks ago.  It's gone, by the way.  In fact, this huge pot of deliciousness was mostly eaten by my boys in two days.  I'd say that this recipe was a success, because they asked for more.  I wasn't sure what to expect, by the way. Why? Because I've never tasted this classic American dish, let alone made this dish.  I happened to catch an episode of America's Test Kitchen and I was impressed with how easy the show made this look to make.   To me, this is really like making homemade chicken soup, with dumplings instead of noodles. Out of curiosity, I asked my husband if he'd ever had Chicken and Dumplings.  He replied that his mother used to make it, and I noticed a faraway look of longing in his eyes.  I decided to see if I could make his childhood dish, because I adore him.

 Carrots, celery and onion are prepped and ready to go.

The only item I needed to buy were chicken thighs-- which are much less expensive than the chicken breasts that I usually buy.  Here we go:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. (I love my splatter screen. It makes cleanup just a little nicer.) The most time-consuming part of this recipe, was searing the chicken in batches.  Five pounds of chicken thighs is a lot!

Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.

 Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin.

Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.

 

Stir in  flour. 

Whisk in sherry (I used a dry white wine), scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves.

Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour.

 Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew. NOTE: I used a disposable glove to make easier work of shredding the thicken.

Time to make dumplings...

Cook's Illustrated suggests using only whole milk, by the way.  (You can substitute unsalted butter if you don't want to use chicken fat.) 

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.  Have frozen peas and fresh parsley at the ready...

Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Following the photos below, drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). 

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. 

NOTE: I found that I had to rotate the dumplings, as some were "gummy" for a few minutes longer than others. I think a tight-fitting lid helps, and I did peek a time or two. Shhhhh. It's time to serve. I had to check out the inside of my first American dumpling.  Would it be fluffy inside, as Cook's Illustrated promised?

Yes! (Sigh of relief.)

VERDICT:  This is a stew.  It's a chicken soup, made thicker.  The dumplings were fluffy-- though I wish I had gone with my intuition to add fresh chives.  I also think buttermilk would be a great alternative to using whole milk.  Would I make this again? Ask my boys! Yes, yes, yes!  It's hearty. It's comforting.  If I skip the dumplings for myself, it's pretty healthy too. 

'Nuff said.

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Blessings,