Since everything’s been so COVID-focused and the world feels weird, I figured it’s time to share recipes, especially the comfort ones. I’ll never be a food blogger because this isn’t 47 pages long with sixteen pics of the origins of chicken and dumplings and an adorable photo of me as a young child biting into a dumpling for the first time.
Chicken and Dumplings
Like many great stories, this one starts with a whole chicken and an air fryer. A romantic at stomach, the air fryer I requested for Valentine's Day nary goes four days without use around here. I like to do the chicken in the air fryer one night and then a day or two later, make a skillet of chicken and dumplings with the leftovers.
Shred up the leftover chicken for this recipe. (It's probably one to two cups of leftover meat. I just eyeball it.) You could also get a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred up that bad boy, but let's be honest, who doesn't just dig into a rotisserie chicken like a cave person? Cheers if you have that sort of restraint.
This is where I like to put on my Star Wars apron.
For the dumplings:
I know, it seems weird to do dumplings first, but this involves the freezer. I double the recipe from Kicking Carbs to the Curb since the giver of the air fryer is a Keto aficionado.
4 eggs
2 C. almond flour
Salt, pepper, and paprika (a couple teaspoons of each)
Beat the eggs till they're fluffy, then add the dry ingredients. Once it's all blended, wrap it up and put in the freezer for half an hour.
Other things you need on the chicken side:
Butter (a couple tablespoons)
Onions (One medium, diced)
Celery (Several stalks, diced)
Parsley, sage, thyme. Rosemary, too, if you're into Simon and Garfunkel, which is actually really excellent cooking music for this. Also, dried herbs are fine. This isn't the Top Chef kitchen.
Chicken or veggie stock (about half the 32 oz. container, so 2 C. or so. This also depends how wild you get with the vegetables.)
Carrots, chopped (and/or any combo of broccoli, asparagus, corn, peas, or whatever floats your boat)
Flour (a couple tablespoons - the Wondra gravy flour works for for this type of thing)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Get your cast iron skillet on medium heat.
So get the skillet on medium heat and melt the butter. Cook down your onions and celery for a few minutes. Add your herbs. This way your house smells like Thanksgiving, which is not only awesome, but makes me feel accomplished.
Add the stock and the other veggies of choice. Make sure you have enough liquid to cook everything, but don't drown it. You can always add a little more stock along the way--this is more Dali than Degas. Add your shredded chicken and gauge the liquid again. Get this all just to a boil and then sprinkle in the flour slowly, stirring as you sprinkle. Do the flour one tablespoon at a time and see how you feel about the consistency. Too much flour and you're eating paste. You might also prefer more of a soup-like consistency and forgo the flour or even add more stock.
Drop the dumpling dough by spoonfuls onto the chicken mixture. I got nine good-sized dumplings out of the recipe--see the pic. Cover the skillet so you get a good steam going to cook the dumplings. Steam for about eight minutes.
I have no idea on the nutritional information, but it usually hits on the happiness factor, so that counts for something.
Enjoy the comfort and stay safe. As for me and my house, we will wear masks. <3