New South Chicken And Dumplings Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Place the chicken breasts into the pot, skin-side-down. Pour in the chicken broth, and enough water to just cover the breasts. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken begins to fall off the bone, about 1 hour. Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the pot. Remove and discard the skin and bone; allow the meat to cool, then tear apart into bite sized chunks.
• While the chicken breast are simmering, prepare the dumpling dough by whisking the flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt together in a mixing bowl. Work the vegetable shortening in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk. Stir together until a stiff dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth. Form the dough into 12 pieces, and set aside.
• After you've shredded the chicken, stir the cream of chicken soup, 2 cups water, salt, pepper, and shredded chicken back into the pot. Return to a simmer over medium-high heat. Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth one at a time to keep them from sticking together. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the dumplings have puffed and are no longer doughy in the center, 10 to 20 minutes.

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.