Chicken Dumplingswest Virginia Style Recipes

Steps:

• 1. COOKING THE CHICKEN: In a dutch oven or another large covered pot, put the chicken & enough water to cover. The amount of chicken you cook is totally a matter of personal preference. Simmer of LOW heat for about 45 minutes, COVERED, until the chicken easily separates with a fork. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. If you used chicken with bones, you may need to strain the chicken broth into a bowl, rinse out the pot, then return the broth to the pot to avoid getting little pieces of bone in your food. I also feel the need to remove any pieces of fat left behind. When the chicken is cooled enough, cut or tear it off the bones into smaller pieces and return it to the broth. Throw away the skin, too. No time to cook? Buy a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, bring it home, and take at least half of the meat off the bone. You'll probably need about THREE cans of chicken broth to heat up in the pot.
• 2. Now look at the chicken pieces in broth. If you cooked the chicken with skin, the broth is probably rich enough. If you just cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, there is probably very little chicken flavoring to the broth. In this case, add a can or two of chicken broth. The broth should cover the chicken with another inch above. Add a little more water, if needed. Heat to boiling over medium-low heat.
• 3. MAKING THE DUMPLINGS: While the broth is heating up, make the biscuit dough. If you're using my biscuit recipe, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and parsley in a medium bowl. Cut in the Crisco with a pastry cutter or my favorite large meat fork from my silverware set. When the flour, etc... resembles small gravel, make a "well" and slowly add the milk, stirring until you have a soft dough. Let it rest while waiting for the broth to boil. Short on time or supplies? Make dumplings using the recipe from the Bisquick box. OR thaw out frozen biscuits and cut into quarters. OR whomp that can of biscuits and use those. We won't tell. =^..^=
• 4. Add salt & pepper, if desired, and stir the chicken off the bottom of the pot one last time. Then drop the biscuit dough into the boiling broth using a heaping regular tablespoon. Repeat until all the biscuit dough is in the broth. NO MORE STIRRING ONCE THE DUMPLINGS ARE IN THE BROTH!
• 5. Leaving the contents of the pot on a slow simmer, set the timer for 10 minutes. Cook UNCOVERED.
• 6. At the end of 10 minutes, COVER the pot and cook 10 minutes more.
• 7. Serve the chicken & dumplings immediately. Serving suggestion: in West Virginia, this dish is often ladled over a mound of mashed potatoes, with a side of homemade applesauce or cranberry jelly. =^..^=

Steps:

• To prepare the dumplings, in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, parsley and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a simmer over low heat; season with black pepper. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• In a second large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and sweet potatoes. Cook until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer. Add the chicken and thyme.
• Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop the dough, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into the simmering stock. Cover and simmer until the dumplings and chicken are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. (The best way to see if the dumplings are cooked is to remove one from the pot and let it cool slightly. Using a chef's knife, halve the dumpling. If the center looks dry, it is cooked. If the dumpling looks gummy or wet, let them cook a bit longer.)
• Stir in the spinach; cover and continue cooking for an additional 30 to 45 seconds. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into warmed bowls and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, sear chicken, skin-side down, until deeply golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until it is browned on the other side, another 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate, and pour off all fat into a measuring cup. (You should have about 5 tablespoons, depending on the fattiness of the chicken.)
• Leaving all the browned bits in the pot, return 2 tablespoons of fat to the pot. Add onions, celery and half the carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat, stirring to scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pot. Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes or so. Return chicken to the pot along with thyme and 8 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is completely tender and liquid has reduced by about 1/4, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board to cool. Strain the stock (you should have about 5 cups; if you have less, you can add water to make up the difference) and wipe out the pot.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons chicken fat along with 1 tablespoon butter (if you don't have enough chicken fat, use enough butter to equal 4 tablespoons of fat) over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly until it's all a pale golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in reserved chicken stock until no lumps remain (it will thicken considerably at first) and bring to a boil. Add leeks and remaining carrots, season with salt and pepper and lower the heat to simmer.
• Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat and add to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nicely thickened and carrots and leeks are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg and add to dry ingredients, followed by melted butter. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)
• Using a spoon, drop generous quarter-size dollops of the dumpling dough into the pot (they should just sit right on top; they will not sink), spacing them apart as much as possible (it's O.K. if they touch). Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, until the dumplings are puffed and totally cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes. (Test a dumpling by cutting it in half; it should look slightly biscuity, but with no raw bits of dough. If it needs more time, continue to cook.)
• Remove lid and divide among bowls; sprinkle with parsley and chives, if using.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients, except chicken. (I've found a hand blender helps keep it from separating as much.)
• Use a small amount to marinade about 5-10 chicken halves or 12-20 drumsticks for a couple hours or over night.
• Grill over very medium coals until pieces test done, basting often.
• It works best if you use a grilling pit and allow it to slow cook for a couple hours.