Mom Mom’s Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients:
- 3 whole chicken breasts or 4 whole chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
- Olive oil
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried savory
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup half and half
- 4 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a jelly roll pan with foil. In a medium bowl, rub chicken with a few tsp. oil and add salt and pepper to season. Lay chicken skin side up on the prepared pan. Roast 35-50 minutes or until chicken’s internal temp is 150 degrees F, or when juices run clear. Remove from oven, let chicken rest for 10 minutes (or until cool enough to handle), then remove meat from bones and skin. Dice roughly and set aside.
- In a large pot, add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Heat over medium heat until thinned, then add onion, carrot and celery. Cook until shiny and fragrant, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Add dry herbs and stir to coat. Once herbs are fragrant, add stock and bouillon. Stir to melt the cubes, then reduce heat to medium low. Add a lid and cook until all veggies are tender. Remove lid, stir in frozen peas and cream. In a small separate bowl, combine cornstarch and water to form a slurry. When soup is simmering again (has reheated thoroughly), whisk in the cornstarch. Scrape sides and bottom to ensure no slurry sticks, and bring back to a gradual boil. Allow to simmer gently while preparing dumplings.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour and milk just enough to moisten and hold together. Do not overmix. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1″.
- Carefully drop pieces into simmering soup, stirring to keep them from sticking together. Recover and allow to cook another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once dumplings float and are fully firm, remove pot from heat and let stand 8-10 minutes with the lid on. Taste, add salt and pepper, then serve. Chill leftovers and eat within 3 days.
