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Old Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings

A comforting classic that fills the kitchen with a cozy aroma and provides a hearty meal with simple ingredients.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 1 whole chicken cut into pieces
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 2 celery ribs sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt for dumplings
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter for dumplings

Method
 

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy pot over medium heat until the butter foams.
  3. Add the chicken pieces skin side down and sear for five minutes per side until the skin turns golden.
  4. Remove the chicken to a plate and pour off excess fat leaving about one tablespoon in the pot.
  5. Toss in the onion carrot and celery then sauté for three minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
  6. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute so the flavor blooms.
  7. Return the chicken to the pot then pour in the water and chicken stock.
  8. Add thyme bay leaf salt and pepper then bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
  9. Cover the pot and simmer for forty minutes turning the pieces halfway so they cook evenly.
  10. Lift out the chicken and set it on a platter to cool for five minutes.
  11. Remove the bay leaf and skim any visible fat from the broth.
  12. Pull the meat from the bones and shred it into bite sized pieces then discard the skin and bones.
  13. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and keep the soup at a slow simmer.
  14. Mix flour baking powder salt for dumplings and parsley in a bowl.
  15. Stir in milk and melted butter until a soft dough forms.
  16. Use a tablespoon to drop dough mounds onto the surface of the simmering broth.
  17. Cover the pot reduce the heat to low and cook for fifteen minutes without lifting the lid.
  18. Remove the lid test one dumpling for doneness and adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if needed.
  19. Ladle the stew into bowls making sure each serving gets plenty of dumplings.
  20. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve piping hot.

Notes

For deeper taste, brown the chicken well. Keep the simmer gentle to avoid tough meat. Do not stir the pot once dumplings start cooking. The stew can be kept in the fridge for three days and reheated gently.