Recipe Background
Southern Dumplings: hearty snowstorm comfort with fluffy goodness.
I still remember the first time I made Southern Dumplings. It was the night of a big snowstorm, the kind that turns a bustling city into a secluded hideaway. My partner and I had moved into our cozy apartment just a week prior. Boxes were still scattered around like an elaborate scavenger hunt, and we hadn't unearthed most of our belongings. The aroma of simmering broth and fresh herbs filled the room, evoking a sense of warmth that complemented the snowdrifts outside. As the chicken simmered in the pot with carrots and onions, I realized how something as simple as a hearty meal could transform a house into a home.
As the evening wore on, I focused on rolling the dough on our limited counter space, dusted generously with flour to keep the dumplings from sticking. I remembered to let the dough rest before cutting it into perfect one-inch pieces. In that moment, I reveled in the simple joy of kneading—a motion both soothing and rhythmic. A tip I picked up from a seasoned chef was to let the dumplings dry for a good hour before cooking. This way, they soaked up just the right amount of broth, transforming into fluffy, flavorful pockets.
When the dumplings were finally done, their gleaming tops peeking through the steam, it was sheer bliss. We gathered around our tiny dining table, savoring each bite of chicken and dough with a sprinkle of pepper and fresh parsley. That night taught me being snowed in can be an opportunity to create something special. In a home full of possibilities, it's the shared meals that bring everything together.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 (6-pound) whole chicken
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 4 quarts water plus more, to taste
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more, to taste, for dusting a work surface and for the dough
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- fresh herbs such as parsley leaves, optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the chicken, the carrots, the celery, and the onion.
- Add 4 quarts of the water, the vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of the salt to the pot, adding the extra water as needed to ensure the chicken is fully submerged.
- Bring the chicken mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer until the meat nearly falls off the bones and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken from the broth and allow it to cool.
- Strain the broth into a bowl and discard the collected vegetables.
- Return the strained broth to the pot.
- Set aside 1 cup of the broth and allow it to cool slightly.
- Shred the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones.
- Cut the meat into bite-size pieces, set it aside, and keep it warm.
- In a bowl, add 2 cups of the flour and the remaining salt and whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the flour mixture and add the egg to the well.
- Gradually stir 1/4 cup of the reserved broth into the egg, picking up and incorporating the flour mixture while stirring. Continue until the flour is all incorporated, adding more of the reserved broth as needed until the dough resembles the consistency of pie dough. Return any of the remaining broth back into the stockpot.
- Continue to add the reserved chicken broth to the well and incorporate the flour mixture gradually as you stir until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough resembles the consistency of a pie dough. You may not need all of the reserved broth; return any remaining broth to the pot.
- Using the extra flour, dust a work surface.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface and knead the dough until stiff.
- Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Return the dough back to the floured work surface, adding more of the extra flour as needed, and roll out the dough into a 17-inch square.
- Cut the dough square into 1-inch pieces and dust the dough pieces with the extra flour.
- Let the dough pieces dry, about 30-60 minutes.
- Bring the remaining broth to a boil on the stovetop.
- Carefully drop the dumplings into the boiling broth.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
- Simmer the dumplings until a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved chicken and the pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
- Serve garnished with the fresh herbs.
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