Can anyone tell me how to make chicken and dumplings the old fashioned way?

Question

I have tried to make chicken and dumplings so many times and every time the dumplings are too hard and do not taste good. The chicken and broth are absolutely wonderful. What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Old Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings

* 2-1/2 to 3 lb. broiler fryer
* 2 quarts water
* 2 tsps. salt
* 1/2 tsp. pepper

Place chicken in a Dutch oven or heavy pot; add water and 2 tsps. salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour or until chicken is tender. Remove from broth and cool, reserving broth in pot.

Debone chicken and cut meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil and add pepper.
Dumplings:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 3 Tblsps. shortening
* 3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine flour, soda and 1/2 tsp. salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and knead lightly 4 or 5 times. Pat dough into 1/2-inch thickness; pinch off dough in 1 1/2-inch pieces and drop into boiling broth. (You may want to do this just like you did the dough for the chicken pie: roll it out and cut with a knife or pizza cutter into small pieces instead of the big dumplings.)

Reduce heat to medium low and cook about 8 to 10 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally. stir in chicken. If you have plenty of broth, you may want to eat this the southern way—over rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

--------------2nd way------------

OLD - FASHIONED CHICKEN WITH DUMPLINGS

3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) ready to serve chicken broth

3 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 large carrots, cut into 1 inch slices

2 ribs celery, cut into 1 inch slices

8 to 10 small boiling onions

1/4 pound small mushrooms, cut into halves

Parsley Dumplings (recipe follows)

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed, drained


Brown chicken in melted butter in 6 to 8 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add broth, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. Add carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms. Simmer, covered, 40 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Prepare Parsley Dumplings.

When chicken is tender, skim fat from broth. Stir in peas. Drop dumpling mixture into broth, making 6 large or 12 small dumplings. Cover; simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until dumplings are firm to the touch and wooden pick inserted in center comes our clean.

Makes 6 servings.

PARSLEY DUMPLINGS: Sift 2 cups all purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Cut in 5 tablespoons cold butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center; pour in 1 cup milk, all at once. Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; stir with fork until dough cleans side of bowl.

Makes 6 large or 12 small dumplings.

---------------Old-Fashioned Chicken And Slick Dumplings

INGREDIENTS

* 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken meat
* 2 small carrots, sliced
* 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 3 Irish potatoes, cubed
* 5 small onions
* 5 cups water
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1 bay leaf
* 3 stalks celery tops
* 1 pinch cayenne pepper
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 4 tablespoons rendered chicken fat

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken in a large pot. Add salt and pepper, a dash of cayenne, a bay leaf, and a handful of celery tops. Cover with water, and cook until done. Discard bay leaf. Add vegetables, and continue cooking until vegetables are nearly done.
2. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix together flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking powder, chicken fat. Mix in enough water to make a stiff dough. Divide dough into three parts. Roll out, and cut into squares.
3. Add 1/3 dumplings to simmering chicken, and cook 5 minutes. Add another third, and cook 5 minutes more. Add the remaining third, and cook 5 minutes longer. Serve.

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Answer 2

Chicken:
1 (2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Ice water

To start the chicken: Place the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in a large pot. Add 4 quarts of water and in water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the thigh juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat to the pot. Keep warm over low heat.

To prepare the dumplings: Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about 3/4 cup of ice water. Knead the dough and form it into ball.

Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm), working from center to 1/8-inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.

Add the cream of celery soup to the pot with the chicken and simmer gently over medium-low heat.

Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Repeat. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls.

Cook's Note: If the chicken stew is too thin it can be thickened before the dumplings are added. Simply mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water then whisk this mixture into the stew.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

See if she does anything different!

Answer 3

After the chicken is cooked the dumplings are made this way.
About l cup flour; 2 eggs; 2 Tbsp. oil; and enough milk to make them stick to a spoon (if you want soft dumplings, called floaters) add about l tbsp. baking powder. l tsp salt
Drop by spoonfuls into chicken broth, cover and let simmer . taste every few minutes until the insides are done.or just use Jiffy Mix and follow directions on box. (not Bisquik)

Answer 4

From the farm probably. Chicken are in chicken coops and the dumplings are made by the farmer's wife to go in the chicken stew.

Answer 5

If you ever find the recipe, email me and let me know. I have tried too and it does not work. My mom made the biggest fluffy, moist dumpling in the world. I have tried and cannot figure how she did it. I know she did it from scratch as she was a Kansas farm girl that grew up during the depression.

Answer 6

I know you said old fashioned way... and Ive tried making mine old fashioned but just didnt like the turn out.

If ya give up, use bisquick's recipe for dumplings. It always gets scarfed up when I make it (never any leftovers!!!!!)