Nothing wraps you up like a cozy blanket and a bowl of complete comfort! This bowl is just that. Simple ingredients? Yes. But, there is nothing lack luster or plain about the flavor!
You will need:
- 2 whole chicken breast, bone in and skin on or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- a drizzle of oil of your choice
- 2 cartons of chicken broth (32 oz each)
- 4 whole carrots
- 3 ribs of celery
- 1 large onion
- poultry seasoning (sprinkled liberally on the chicken)
- fresh rosemary and thyme (1 tablespoon if fresh) and 1 teaspoon each if dried
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons of better than bouillon chicken base
- any other seasoning you choose (garlic powder, etc., but keep it simple)
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 1/2 sticks of very cold butter
- 1/3 cup of very cold vegetable shortening (or use all butter instead of adding shortening)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 8 tablespoons of ice cold water
Season the chicken on both sides. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and drizzle with oil. Sear the chicken on both sides. Add in the carrots, celery, onion and dried herbs (if using fresh save those until just before adding your dumplings). Add in one carton of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a steady simmer. While the chicken and veggies are cooking, prep your dumplings.
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl or food processor with a dough blade. Then add the butter and shortening (cut in cubes first). Pulse until the mixture resembles peas. If doing by hand, use two butter knives like scissors to cut the butter into the flour. Or, you can use a pastry blender. Once the butter is incorporated, add the 8 tablespoons of water and blend until a ball is formed in the food processor or you’re able to mold the dough into a ball. If you need to, add more water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Roll dough out to the thickness of a nickel and cut in a checkerboard pattern.
Add the remaining stock, chicken bouillon base and the fresh herbs, if using fresh, and check for seasoning. Adjust to your liking. Remove the chicken and veggies from the stock and put aside. The veggies have done their job of flavoring the stock, but the carrots are GREAT to eat. Make sure the stock is simmering and carefully drop in your dumplings. Each time you drop in more, stir from the bottom. Once all of the dumplings have been added to the pot, chop and add the chicken back in. Remove the skin and bones, first, if you used bone in/skin on chicken. Cook for 5 minutes longer.
Enjoy!
#yumola