Chicken and Buttermilk Herb Dumplings
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 2:29pm

Ingredients




Chicken and Stock:
1 (3 to 31/2 pound) whole organic chicken
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
5 black peppercorns
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons salt
Buttermilk Herb Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Chopped chives and parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1 Place the chicken and all stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Skim the surface of fat and foam as it cooks. 2 When done remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain and reserve the stock and shred the meat into pieces. 3 Make the dumplings: In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. 4 In a small bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs, chives, parsley and buttermilk together; pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together. 5 To prepare sauce: In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. 6 Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes. 7 Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. 8 Add frozen peas and pearl onions. 9 Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. 10 Stir in heavy cream. 11 Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. 12 Remove and discard the bay leaves. 13 Using 2 spoons carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be too crowded. 14 Let the dumplings poach for about 10 minutes until they are firm and puffy Turn the dumplings over and let poach another 5 minutes. 15 Season with freshly cracked black pepper. 16 Garnish with chopped chives and parsley before serving.

About


This is a delicious and creamy Chicken and Dumplings recipe - perfect for a cold night. If you don't have time to make your own stock you can simply use canned chicken stock and add 2-3 cups of shredded chicken meat. Try this recipe after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey and stock (if you made it)!