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Chicken and Dumplings

Source of Recipe

From "Martha's American Food" by Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

"A big pot of chicken and dumplings is a common—and entirely welcome—meal in the South, where there as many ways to prepare it as there are home cooks. This version is aromatic with thyme and includes green beans and carrots; the chicken is browned first in the pot, then the flavorful browned bits are incorporated into the stew. Originally, the dumpling dough was rolled out and cut into thick strips for draping on top; the dough for these dumplings is simply dropped into the pot by the spoonful."

List of Ingredients

For the Chicken:
â—¦ 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5 to 6 thighs)
â—¦ 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pieces)
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil, such as safflower
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 large onion, finely chopped
â—¦ 1 ¾ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups milk
â—¦ 3 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally ¼ inch thick
â—¦ ½ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Dumplings:
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ ½ cup yellow cornmeal
â—¦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
â—¦ 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
â—¦ 1 cup milk


Recipe

Prepare the chicken: Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy 6-quart pot over medium; cook thighs, turning once, until browned and cooked through (juices should run clear when pierced), 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Cook breast pieces until browned and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut breasts crosswise into thirds.

Add butter to pot and heat until melted. Add onion; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and thyme; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and flour in a bowl; gradually whisk in milk, then whisk mixture into pot. Boil, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to pot and stir to combine. Remove from heat. (Stew can be prepared up to this point a day ahead; let cool completely, then refrigerate, covered. Reheat over low before proceeding.)

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add salt. Blanch carrots and green beans until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking; stir into chicken mixture.

Prepare the dumplings: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingertips, work butter into flour mixture until texture of coarse meal. Pour in milk; stir with a fork until dough just comes together. Return mixture to a simmer and drop dough by tablespoons on top. Cover; cook 15 minutes without lifting lid (the dumplings will puff up).

Serve hot.

Serves 6