Chicken and Dumplings, Updated

[Jenise]

Bob requested chicken and dumplings last night, and I complied. It was one of those efforts where I couldn't get the ingredient I wanted, but I liked the last resort I was stuck with better than what I'd have done in the first place, so I'm a better cook today.

Specifically, the local market chain Haggen, under new out-of-state ownership, has decided not to carry much in the way or Organic or Free Range chicken any more. Definitely no whole ones (whole only in the conventional birds), and just a few parts boneless-skinless parts. The one closest to me only carries breasts now. The one I stopped at yesterday, in another part of town, had thighs and breasts. Neither were what I had in mind as I typically make chicken and dumplings with the whole bird, but that's tradition talking. And it's my own tradition, the only chicken and dumplings I've had in my whole life besides a brief sample at an uncle's house when I was maybe 13, is what I've made and loved. Never used a recipe, just made what I thought would taste good and I believed that a whole bird would have the most and best flavor.

Stuck with what looked like no good options yesterday, and having no extra time to go where I could have gotten what I wanted, I chose boneless/skinless thighs which later were dredged in flour, salt and pepper before a light poaching in chicken broth with a lot of dried, rubbed sage and a shot of white vermouth.

I will never go back to whole-bird. Cooking, of course, was so easy. Didn't have to worry about separating the fat before making a gravy; instead I added more flour at the start of cooking and when the chicken was cooked and ready for the dumplings, I had a perfect gravy with no further tampering required. And it was a much better looking plate as I could layer the elements, as well as a better-eating plate. Silky textures hardly needed a knife, and there were no bones or skin to set aside. Chicken and dumplings has always been, to me, homey food, comfort food, but now I see the potential for the elegance I usually strive for no matter what I'm making.

So just a suggestion: if you, too, love this dish and have been wedded to bone-in chicken, consider using just b/s thighs next time. Like me, you might never revert.

Oh my goodness. This is just what I have been in the mood for. In fact, Len brought a rotisserie chicken home from Costco yesterday and all I've been thinking about since is making soup out of it with homemade noodles. Do you have an actual C&D recipe that you use? I've never made it before but I do love it.

[Jenise]

Carrie, no I've never followed a recipe. My method goes: Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, brown in Dutch oven, add broth or water to cover, add sage and a good splash of dry white vermouth, and. A slurry of flour (use the seasoned flour, why not) and water tto thicken, cover and simmer, prEpare dough from about 1.5 cups flour and 2 tablespoon of baking powder, salt, nutmeg and milk (I wing it, but you'll find standard dumpling recipes all over the net), drop over simmering chicken, cover and "bake" until risen. That's it. Obviously I hilly recommend using b/s thighs. Total cooking time for the dish would only be about 45 minutes--I'd drop the dumplings in after oNly about 20 minutes.

Pls excuse typos. Mom learning to use an iPad and fixing errors you see ad ter you've typed way past them is a pain.

Thank you Jenise. I will do this soon. Sound great.
My soup was very good last night other than my "noodles." I don't have much experience with these, but something went amiss because they were more like floating bread sticks! I fished them all out and they will be dog treats for the next few days.

P.S. You are excused on the typos. I hate typing on my iPad also!

[Jenise]

Carrie, we may have a communications breakdown here. Was your "soup" based on my recipe? If so, you might have been expecting a style of c and d that I have never had but know exists, wherein the dumpling is a roller-flattened noodle whereas my dish is more stew consistency and the dumplings are lite and airy pillows t,hat are indeed bread-like.

Carrie, we may have a communications breakdown here. Was your "soup" based on my recipe? If so, you might have been expecting a style of c and d that I have never had but know exists, wherein the dumpling is a roller-flattened noodle whereas my dish is more stew consistency and the dumplings are lite and airy pillows t,hat are indeed bread-like.

My bad.
No, I was already making the chicken soup in the traditional sense and decided to make homemade noodles (none of this based on your C&D recipe). I will definitely do your C&D soon though. It sounded wonderful.