chicken and dumplings how to improve. ....

[blake]

Thursday I smoked 2 whole chickens and then made broth.

Today (Saturday) I made chicken and dumplings with some of the left over chicken and all the broth.

It was excellent, and well received from the family. All gone and no pictures. Way better than Cracker Barrel was the compliment I got from my 9 and 11 year old and the wife agreed. Of course, my 14 year old reminded me she wants to go vegan because she doesn't like meat, haha, she had two bowls.


Now to the question part, is there any thing you do to improve.... I mean chicken and dumplings is pretty darn simply and good, and I am already smoking the chicken. Anything else I can do to elevate.

I'm puling the dumpling recipe from a flat dumpling off the internet. just flour cut into butter, baking soda, and milk. Would and egg or buttermilk add anything? Anything else you do to boost or "gourmet" dumplings.?

I think dumplings are going to become a biweekly meal. But I am going to have to up my once a week smoked chicken from 2 to 5 or 6 as I already due pot pies, enchiladas, korma/tikka marsla/butter/stir fry, and sometimes white chili with the leftovers on a regular basis.

 

[Hoss]

I just use my buttermilk biscuit recipe and roll it REALLY thin/I HATE big,thick dumplings.Google North Carolina chicken and pastry,that is kinda how I make mine.

 

[mike243]

I cheat most of the time for dumplings, frozen biscuits cut up into small pieces. I will smoke some chicken and try that the next time I get a chance, thanks for the idea

 

[LYU370]

I HATE big,thick dumplings.

I'm the opposite, I hate the thin noodle like dumplings.

 

[Hoss]

I'm the opposite, I hate the thin noodle like dumplings.

There ya go,different strokes.What you like is what you oughta cook.That is the wonderful thing about cooking.Cook what the cook likes,if the eaters do not like it,they can cook.:thumb:

 

[Hoss]

Thursday I smoked 2 whole chickens and then made broth.

Today (Saturday) I made chicken and dumplings with some of the left over chicken and all the broth.

It was excellent, and well received from the family. All gone and no pictures. Way better than Cracker Barrel was the compliment I got from my 9 and 11 year old and the wife agreed. Of course, my 14 year old reminded me she wants to go vegan because she doesn't like meat, haha, she had two bowls.


Now to the question part, is there any thing you do to improve.... I mean chicken and dumplings is pretty darn simply and good, and I am already smoking the chicken. Anything else I can do to elevate.

I'm puling the dumpling recipe from a flat dumpling off the internet. just flour cut into butter, baking soda, and milk. Would and egg or buttermilk add anything? Anything else you do to boost or "gourmet" dumplings.?

I think dumplings are going to become a biweekly meal. But I am going to have to up my once a week smoked chicken from 2 to 5 or 6 as I already due pot pies, enchiladas, korma/tikka marsla/butter/stir fry, and sometimes white chili with the leftovers on a regular basis.

One tip I can give you is to throw the chicken bones from the carcass and maybe the carrots and onion back on the grill for a bit before using them to make the stock.It adds another level of flavor .

 

[Kaptain Kadian]

Chicken and dumplings

For the Dumplings:

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

2 large eggs, beaten

Garnish: minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the oil and stir to coat the flour, then add the water and beaten eggs. Stir just enough to combine, then knead with clean hands until evenly mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and divide in half. Take the first portion and roll out into a thin rectangle. Slice the dough lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cut cross-wise into pieces 4 inches long. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bring the broth back to a boil. Drop the dumpling strips into the boiling liquid. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the dumplings are tender (they'll puff up a bit), about 20 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.*

Best dumplings that I have ever had

 

[Happy Hapgood]

alil bacon drippings in there ain't bad either according to my (RIP) Grandmother.

 

[ModelMaker]

Just finished off a 3 meal pot last week. So very easy, carrots,onion,sauteed in bacon drippings, chicken stock, chicken chunks, big fluffy dumplings.
Always puts Mom front and center.
Ed

 

[willsands]

I recently read a chicken and dumpling recipe that substitutes cake flour for AP flour in the dumplings. I haven't tried that, but I intend to for my next chicken and dumpling cook. The idea is to make the dumplings less dense and more airy.

I like Hoss's suggestion to re-smoke the chicken carcasses before adding them to the stockpot.

It will soon be time for winter comfort foods in my neck of the woods with more opportunities to experiment.

 

[cholloway]

If it ain't broke...

 

[Porcine Perfection]

alil bacon drippings in there ain't bad either according to my (RIP) Grandmother.

Agree 100%. Chicken, is well, chicken. And dumplings are mainly flour and water. Not much flavor going on here. I have used bacon and even once did a chorizo and dumplings which were very strange yet very tasty.

 

[okiej]

I use pretty much the same recipe as blake stated and really never felt a reason to improve upon it. I do find rolling out the flower and cutting all the dumplings a lot of work. The short cut's I see posted are interesting. I think the bacon grease myabe the idea I actually try. But if it ain't broke, why fix it :-D

 

[ChileRelleno]

Another vote for bacon grease instead of vegetable oil and even bacon crumbles into the dumpling dough.
Also the addition of herbs into the dumplings makes for a nice addition to overall savoriness.

 

[Nuco59]

Grandma made what the old folks called "slick dumplins" rolled out thin thin with a tall glass (she did not own a rolling pin) and sliced them into 1 x2 rectangles with the tip of a knife. They were thin and light - not thick and doughy.

I use a rolling pin and a pizza cutter- but I like to think that she'd smile down at my my version and nod her head.

 

[Pig_Farmer]

Wife's family is from SE Missouri and every one of her aunts use cornish hen instead of chicken. Symantec's, I know, but different flavor.

 

[thirdeye]

"Flat dumplings"?, I guess that's the kind my grandmother used to make, and Mr's ~t~ has her recipe. I call them chicken and noodles.

 

[16Adams]

Now I was not in this conversation merely overheard it. My mother was giving out her secret and I swear she said “always use a fat yellow hen”. She would make home made egg noodles to varying random cuts (length-width-height & shape). She didn’t freeze them actually just the opposite she let dry on the hood of her Grand Prix in a plastic covered donut box, the big box like cinnamon rolls come in.
Regardless of dumpling recipe, that fat yellow hen kind of bounces in my mind

 

[okiesmokie78]

I like my Chicken and Dumplings broth to be more like a gravy than a broth. I add a can of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken to the stock with lots of black pepper!

 

[KClandcruiser]

Sounds like you're already on to a great recipe. Sometimes we chase things that don't need to be chased.

I'm a big fan of Sean Brock's chicken and dumpling recipe. The dumpling is more of a thick batter than something that could be rolled out. I just spoon little tablespoon dollops of dumpling batter into the boiling stock and it is fantastic.

I think this may be one of the recipes where simple is best, and lets the chicken, stock and dumplings shine