The Difference Between Southern Dumpling and Slippery Dumplings
Growing up in the south I know all about chicken and dumplings. Truthfully, I never liked them because the biscuit-like dumpling is too wet on the outside and felt like I was eating raw dough. I had no idea there was another option! Then we had our Delaware state dinner and I learned about slippery dumplings. They are just as cozy as southern chicken and dumplings, but the noodle style dumpling is much more appealing, at least for me.
Slippery Dumplings is Kind of Like Making Chicken Soup
The first step in making slippery dumplings is to saute what is known in the food world as "the trinity," a combination of onions, carrots, and celery. The trinity is sometimes also used in reference to an onion, celery, bell pepper combination, but in this recipe we are using the carrot version. Once they are soft, add in your seasoned raw chicken and the broth. I love the flavor that the fresh rosemary and thyme give to this dish! I almost didn't use them because I didn't have any thyme, but then my problem-solving brain kicked in and I clipped them with these Twixit clips. It worked! I use these clips for keeping bags closed in the pantry and freezer, but apparently they are pretty versatile. Back to the recipe - simmer the chicken for about 30 minutes, until it is cooked through.
The Making of Dumplings
Making the dough is easy, and can be done while the chicken is cooking. Mix the dumpling ingredients together until you have a whole bowl of coarse crumbs. I use a pastry cutter, but you can even use your fingers for this! No special equipment needed! Then you use some of the warm broth from your pan to add in enough liquid to make a soft dough. Knead it for about 5 minutes, and it is ready to roll.
The one important thing here is the thickness of your dough. You want it really thin. I even brought out my ruler to make sure it was only ⅛" thick. You don't have to be as OCD as I am. Just make sure it is really thin. After it is rolled out, cut it into strips. You don't have to be perfect here. Just somewhere around 2x1 is great! I like to use a pizza cutter for this part, as it makes it really fast and easy!
Drop the dough into the pan one at a time and watch them cook up! We made this a family affair. It's a whole lot faster for 4 of us to drop in the dough instead of just 1 person. But if you don't have extra hands, don't sweat it! You can handle it on your own as well.
Slippery Dumplings are a Great Comfort Food
One they finish cooking you serve the dumplings and broth poured over the chicken. It is a warm, comforting, flavorful bowl of hearty-goodness! This recipe will be going on our menu rotation in the winter, for sure!
Slippery Dumplings
Recipe by:
Ingredients
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 6 carrots, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2.5 lbs chicken breast
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-6 cups chicken broth
Dumplings
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup shortening
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, and onion, and saute until translucent.
- Mix together salt, black pepper, garlic, and paprika. Rub over chicken. Add chicken to the Dutch oven and pour 4-6 cups of chicken broth over the top. (The amount of broth depends on whether you prefer more of a soup or a thicker, pot pie-like result. I use 5 cups.) Tie rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and drop into the broth. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, in a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers, until it is coarse crumbs. Remove 1 ½ cups of broth from the Dutch oven, and mix into the flour mixture a little at a time until a soft dough is formed.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead about 5 minutes, until it is soft, pliable, and smooth. Cover and let rest 10-15 minutes.
- Once rested, place dough back onto a floured surface and roll out until it is ⅛-inch thin. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2"x1" strips.
- When chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. You can shred or leave whole. Remove herbs and bay leaf from the pot and discard.
- Raise the heat of the broth to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop in dumplings once at a time, stirring occasionally, to keep them from sticking together. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately over chicken.
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