Southern Chicken and Dumplings
In this classic southern dish, we teach you how to intensify flavor while omitting salt by using a technique from French cuisine: the bouquet garni. This little parcel of herbs, seeds and bay leaves, tied inside cheesecloth, adds flavor intensity without the addition of salt!
Makes
Serving size
Ingredients
BOUQUET GARNI INGREDIENTS:
3-4 sage leaves
3 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery seeds
STEW INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 medium celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch slices
2 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch slices, and then in half
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
12-ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into ¾ inch pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups unsalted chicken stock, low sodium
1 cup water
1 bouquet garni
DUMPLING INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unbleached flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced, or ½ teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon oregano leaves, minced, or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup oat milk
½ teaspoon paprika
Special Equipment:
6-inch square piece of cheese cloth
Kitchen shears
Kitchen twine or thread
Instructions
DIRECTIONS TO MAKE A “BOUQUET GARNI”:
- Lay the cheese cloth on a clean cutting board.
- Snip the herbs and bay leaves with the kitchen shears into ½ sized pieces.
- Lay the herbs, seeds and broken bay leaves in the center of the cheesecloth
- Gather ends to make a tight parcel; tie with twine.
- Trim extra ends of cheesecloth with twine.
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, thyme leaves, pepper, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic.
- Sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Season chicken with pepper. Add to the sautéed vegetables and sauté chicken it turns white.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the pan and coat the chicken and vegetables evenly.
- Add stock, water, and bouquet garni.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
- Prepare the dumplings while the chicken is cooking.
- Combine flour, baking powder, thyme, oregano and black pepper in a bowl. Cut butter into the flour with a pastry cutter tool or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add oat milk; stir just until moist.
- Drop dough, 2 teaspoons at a time, into the chicken liquid, forming 16 dumplings.
- Cover and simmer 7 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bouquet garnet.
- Serve chicken and dumplings into bowls. Garnish with paprika
Cooking Tip
Be sure to test the dumplings and make sure they are completely cooked for the best result in texture and flavor
Recipe contributed by FamilyCook Productions
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