There are many recipes for Chicken and Dumplings, and to me if it is full of black pepper then they are all good :)
For the Chicken:
6 chicken thighs, bone-in and still with the skin on
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
2 ribs of celery, strings removed, and cut into thirds
2 small onions (the size of a tennis ball), peeled and sliced in half from root to tip
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the chicken thighs in the crock pot, skin side down. Place the vegetables on top of the chicken thighs, then sprinkle your herbs, salt, and pepper over all. Pour 4 to 5 cups cold water in the crock pot so that it covers all your ingredients by 1 inch at most (I have actually used less water and come out with a more concentrated broth, but for this recipe, you will need a fair amount of liquid). Cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.
After your chicken is cooked, extract all the veggies and chicken from the crock pot. The chicken should be falling off the bone. I usually put everything into a roaster pan so that I have room to work without making a huge mess. Strain the broth that is in the crock pot into a large pot-- you will end up with about 4-5 cups of good, rich chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Shred the chicken and put it in the pot. If you wish, you can slice the vegetables and add them to the pot as well. I usually use the carrot, as it adds color, but the taste and the color have often all run out of the celery and onion, so I don't use them.
Then, all you have to do is make the dumplings:
For the Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (regular or butter flavor)
1 teaspoon salt
Milk
Mix the dry ingredients together, and then cut in the shortening, much as you would for pie crust. When the mixture resembles small pebbles or beans, start mixing in the milk. Mix it in a few drops at a time, until you have a very thick batter. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into the boiling chicken broth mixture. (For this task, I use a regular soup spoon, not the standard measuring spoon.) Cover immediately, lower the heat to a simmer, and leave covered for 12 minutes (do not open, or your dumplings will fall-- the steam makes them puff up). Remove from the heat and serve. The flour from the dumplings will dissolve somewhat (not noticeably), magically turning your chicken broth into a rich, thick gravy.
You can prepare the chicken step the night before (without the water), which is what I often do when I want this on a weeknight. Then, in the morning, I will cover it with cold water, turn on the crock, and let it go on low until I come home from work. After that, the rest of the dish is ready in less than 30 minutes. Plus, when you come home from a long and tiring day of work, the house smells absolutely glorious. And after dinner, when you're all fat and happy, you realize how magic food really is.
6 chicken thighs, bone-in and still with the skin on
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
2 ribs of celery, strings removed, and cut into thirds
2 small onions (the size of a tennis ball), peeled and sliced in half from root to tip
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the chicken thighs in the crock pot, skin side down. Place the vegetables on top of the chicken thighs, then sprinkle your herbs, salt, and pepper over all. Pour 4 to 5 cups cold water in the crock pot so that it covers all your ingredients by 1 inch at most (I have actually used less water and come out with a more concentrated broth, but for this recipe, you will need a fair amount of liquid). Cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.
After your chicken is cooked, extract all the veggies and chicken from the crock pot. The chicken should be falling off the bone. I usually put everything into a roaster pan so that I have room to work without making a huge mess. Strain the broth that is in the crock pot into a large pot-- you will end up with about 4-5 cups of good, rich chicken broth. Heat to boiling. Shred the chicken and put it in the pot. If you wish, you can slice the vegetables and add them to the pot as well. I usually use the carrot, as it adds color, but the taste and the color have often all run out of the celery and onion, so I don't use them.
Then, all you have to do is make the dumplings:
For the Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (regular or butter flavor)
1 teaspoon salt
Milk
Mix the dry ingredients together, and then cut in the shortening, much as you would for pie crust. When the mixture resembles small pebbles or beans, start mixing in the milk. Mix it in a few drops at a time, until you have a very thick batter. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into the boiling chicken broth mixture. (For this task, I use a regular soup spoon, not the standard measuring spoon.) Cover immediately, lower the heat to a simmer, and leave covered for 12 minutes (do not open, or your dumplings will fall-- the steam makes them puff up). Remove from the heat and serve. The flour from the dumplings will dissolve somewhat (not noticeably), magically turning your chicken broth into a rich, thick gravy.
You can prepare the chicken step the night before (without the water), which is what I often do when I want this on a weeknight. Then, in the morning, I will cover it with cold water, turn on the crock, and let it go on low until I come home from work. After that, the rest of the dish is ready in less than 30 minutes. Plus, when you come home from a long and tiring day of work, the house smells absolutely glorious. And after dinner, when you're all fat and happy, you realize how magic food really is.
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