Good Southern side dishes to serve with Chicken & Dumplings would be
If you grew up in the 1940’s or 1950’s you knew all about “Diner” food. From “dime store” lunch counters to stand alone diners that
looked like a recycled train dining car, they were so popular and served the best “comfort” food ever!!! The post card showing is
one I bought in a diner on Route 66 somewhere in the mid-west. And that “toots” waitress, I found in an antique mall and just
had to have it. My Daddy always called my Mother, “Toots”!!!
This month we’re featuring the “ultimate” diner comfort food, Chicken & Dumplings! Every Southern cook has her own recipe and this month I’m sharing mine!
Bon Appetit!
Miss Dee’s Chicken & Dumplings
CHICKEN:
1, 5 to 5-½ lb. hen (any bigger and chicken will be tough)
2 qts. (8 cups) of water
A
little salt & black pepper
1 packet Goya powdered Chicken Bouillon (Italian section of grocery store)
(must use Goya brand,
it has all the delicious seasonings in it)
¾ cup warm (not hot or cold) broth from cooking
the chicken
CAMPBELL’S CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP. Mix well with
one can of left-over broth. This is added at the end of cooking
Chicken: Start
the chicken to cooking in the water, breast side down, with salt and pepper and the Goya powder. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer,
cover and simmer till chicken is fork-tender, 1 to 1½ hrs.
Dumplings: Stir the flour and warm broth together with a spoonjust until it comes together and makes a “dough”. Don’t stir too long or the dumplings will be tough. Then, turn out on a floured
cloth (I keep a large piece of unbleached muslin for rolling out everything!). Cover and let dough “rest” for 30 minutes to rise.
Then roll dough out 1/8-inch thin, using more flour as necessary. Using a pizza cutter, cut strips of dough (see photo), 2 to 3 inches
long by 1½ inches wide. Makes about 30 to 45 strips.
When chicken is done, remove from the broth (easy with tongs) and remove
all skin and bones and cut into small bitesize pieces. Set aside.
Remove 2 cups of the chicken broth from the pot, leaving 1½ quarts
of broth to cook the dumplings in. Carefully place the dumplings in the broth, one by one. They will be crowded but gently push them
around with the back of a spoon until all have been added. Don’t “stir”! Put the lid on top and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Then
place the cooked chicken and the Campbell’s Soup mixture on top. Gently stir to mix all of it together and it’s done and ready to
eat!