Recipe: Chicken and dumplings.
So here's what I made earlier today. (Recipe from the aforementioned Big Book of Soups & Stews, by Maryann Volstedt.)
Chicken and Buttermilk-Thyme Dumplings
Ingredients:
Soup Mix:
* 5 cups chicken stock or broth
* 4 chicken thighs (about 1.5 pounds), fat and skin removed
* 4 chicken drumsticks (about 1.5 pounds), fat and skin removed
* 1 cup chopped yellow onion (I just used a single medium onion, diced)
* 1 cup sliced celery (I used six ribs of celery)
* 2 cups baby carrots
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* black pepper to taste (I put in 1 teaspoon, but I like my soups spicy)
* 1/2 teaspoon dried bay leaves
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup water
.... (technically you're supposed to add the flour and water after the soup simmers, but I put in beforehand and it turned out fine)
Buttermilk-Thyme Dumplings:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 cup buttermilk (lacking buttermilk, I used 1% milk instead and it tasted fine all the same)
Method:
In a large soup pot over high heat, bring stock, chicken, vegetables, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until chicken is no longer pink in the center (about 45 minutes).
Meanwhile, make dumpling batter by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
To cook dumplings, drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls on top of hot stew. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cover and cook until a tester comes out clean when inserted into a dumpling, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Overall, it was quite tasty, but it seemed like it lacked... something. Some last little bit of spicing, maybe, to make it just perfect. Maybe next time I'll throw in a touch of Mrs. Dash's Garlic and Herb -- and my mom recommended diced-up garlic and a touch of garlic salt and the last-minute addition of peas. (Also, making the dumplings with Bisquick rather than the standard flour-and-baking-powder mix.)
It was complicated by the lack of free chicken pieces within the stew, I think -- I get that the recipe needs the drumsticks and thigh bones for the marrow, to add that rich meaty texture to the soup, but at the same time I found myself wanting more actual meat in it. *grin*
Chicken and Buttermilk-Thyme Dumplings
Ingredients:
Soup Mix:
* 5 cups chicken stock or broth
* 4 chicken thighs (about 1.5 pounds), fat and skin removed
* 4 chicken drumsticks (about 1.5 pounds), fat and skin removed
* 1 cup chopped yellow onion (I just used a single medium onion, diced)
* 1 cup sliced celery (I used six ribs of celery)
* 2 cups baby carrots
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* black pepper to taste (I put in 1 teaspoon, but I like my soups spicy)
* 1/2 teaspoon dried bay leaves
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup water
.... (technically you're supposed to add the flour and water after the soup simmers, but I put in beforehand and it turned out fine)
Buttermilk-Thyme Dumplings:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 cup buttermilk (lacking buttermilk, I used 1% milk instead and it tasted fine all the same)
Method:
In a large soup pot over high heat, bring stock, chicken, vegetables, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until chicken is no longer pink in the center (about 45 minutes).
Meanwhile, make dumpling batter by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
To cook dumplings, drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls on top of hot stew. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cover and cook until a tester comes out clean when inserted into a dumpling, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
Overall, it was quite tasty, but it seemed like it lacked... something. Some last little bit of spicing, maybe, to make it just perfect. Maybe next time I'll throw in a touch of Mrs. Dash's Garlic and Herb -- and my mom recommended diced-up garlic and a touch of garlic salt and the last-minute addition of peas. (Also, making the dumplings with Bisquick rather than the standard flour-and-baking-powder mix.)
It was complicated by the lack of free chicken pieces within the stew, I think -- I get that the recipe needs the drumsticks and thigh bones for the marrow, to add that rich meaty texture to the soup, but at the same time I found myself wanting more actual meat in it. *grin*