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Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

Coffee with Kel
This is a recipe for good, old fashioned chicken and dumplings made the simplest way possible. My advice is to use it as a guide and learn your technique more than just a recipe - that's the way I was taught.
Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • Approx 1-1.5 pounds Chicken of your choice ( I use bone-in/skin-on chicken breast and use a package that has about 3-4 nice size pieces in it. I sometimes will use chicken thighs in addition to chicken breasts, just depends on what I find at the store.)
  • Water to cook chicken seasoned with 1.5 teaspoons salt (Salt level is according to taste)
  • 4 cups Self-rising flour (I recommend White Lily brand.)
  • 1 Tbsp Black pepper (More/less to taste)
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 3.5 cups BOILING water (from cooking the chicken)
  • Chicken broth (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Boil chicken in a large pot – I used a cast iron Dutch oven for this particular batch. Cover with water seasoned with 1.5 teaspoons of salt and boil until done.
  • While the chicken is cooking, prepare your dumpling flour. Use 4c self rising flour and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Blend those together with a whisk. (I like black pepper in my dumplings – you can adjust to taste.)
  • Make a “well” in the center of your flour mixture once it’s mixed together to prepare to make dumplings once the chicken is done.
  • Once the chicken is done, remove it from the water and set aside. To the water that is left in the cooking pot, add 3T butter and bring to a rolling boil.
  • To make dumplings: pour boiling hot water from the pot into the “well” created in the flour mixture. This is where you have to “eye ball it” and judge when your dough consistency is right. I’ll give the measurements I used for reference. To your 4 cups of flour and 1T of black pepper, add 3.5 cups boiling hot water and begin to mix. (At this point, turn down your remaining cooking liquid to medium.) Dumpling dough should not be wet and sticky. It should be a consistency that can be kneaded and rolled.You will probably also have some dough left in the bottom of the bowl and that is okay. Just make sure you can work your dough with your hands. Too much water will make your dumplings fall apart.
  • Flour a working surface. I just use a cutting board that I coat well with flour.
  • In small batches, grab up some dough to knead and work into a ball on your floured surface. (My mom’s note: knead your dough well so that your dumplings hold together in the cooking liquid.) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin or even a floured glass – whatever is easiest.
  • Cut your dough into strips and then into dumplings. Add each dumpling to the remaining water in the pot. (That is now on medium on the stove.) When all the dough is cut into dumplings and they are all cooking, then cut up the chicken and add it to the pot.
  • You may need more cooking liquid at this point. If you do, simply add some chicken broth or stock. Just keep an eye on the liquid level as it cooks. They key is not letting it get either too dry or too soupy. This is one of those times where I don’t have a measurement, just advice to “eyeball it.” I also tend to add more black pepper here.  Optional, of course. 
  • Simmer on low for at least half an hour and stir regularly. Since the chicken is done, you’re just  getting your dumplings cooked through at this point. I tend to cover mine and cook on low for awhile. Again, I’ve never timed it, but a half hour should be good once you’ve gotten all the ingredients added to the pot. You can taste test a dumpling to check, as well.

Notes

Please note that this is more of a "method" than a recipe the way I make it, so you may find that you need to finesse measurements some to your liking. This is a very easy, simple way to make chicken and dumplings the old fashioned way and has room for flexibility according to taste. I also recommend checking out the blog post and seeing the photos for reference. 
https://www.coffeewithkel.com/201701/old-fashioned-chicken-dumplings/