How To Make Chicken And Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is a popular dish from America's Deep South. Succulent chicken pieces, flavoursome stock, and filling dumplings - honest food at it's best.
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You will need
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Step 1:
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Cook the chicken
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Wash the chicken, inside and out. Place in a large pot and cover with 2 litres of chicken stock and 1 tsp of bouillon powder.
Add 3 stalks of celery broken into pieces, 2 tbsp parsley, salt and pepper, 1 onion, quartered, and 3 crushed cloves of garlic. Put on the hob and leave to simmer for 60 -90 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
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Step 2:
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The dumplings
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Sieve together 200 g flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda, add in 1 1/2 tsp of caster sugar. Rub in 60 g of butter until the mixture is the consistency of bread crumbs.
Gradually mix in 250 ml of buttermilk a little at a time. Keep mixing until the dough forms a ball.
Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough out thinly, then slice into 2 inch strips.
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Step 3:
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Break up the chicken
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Check the chicken is cooked by slicing down between the breast and the leg, the meat should be white with no pink juices. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add 225 g of baby carrots to the pot and leave to cook for 15- 20 minutes.
When chicken is cool enough to handle, tear the meat into finger size pieces, discarding the bones and skin.
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Step 4:
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Combine
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Remove the cooked carrots from the pot and set aside ready for serving. Discard the celery. Bring the remaining stock to a simmer and drop in the dumplings and chicken. Stir well, season with salt and pepper, and leave to cook with the lid on for 10 minutes.
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Serve while hot with the carrots on the side.
