There is no better country comfort food than chicken and dumplings. A wintertime favorite, this dish can stand alone or be served with a fresh salad. The delicious herbed dumplings, tender chicken and tasty vegetables will be gobbled up fast, so savor it while it lasts.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 T. olive oil, divided
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
- 2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Herbed Dumplings
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 7 T. chilled butter
- 3 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup whole milk
Preparation
Position oven rack in the center and preheat to 425 degrees. Rinse chicken breasts, dry and cut into 1-inch strips. Season with salt and pepper and divide into three batches. Heat 1 T. olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside and repeat with remaining two batches. Set the chicken aside.
In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and shallot, cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and slowly add chicken stock mixing often. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add carrots, celery, bay leaf, oregano and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste; simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. To make the dumplings, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Cut the chilled butter into tablespoon-sized slices. Cut the butter into the flour until it is in small pieces. Mix the rosemary in with your hands or a spatula. Add the milk and mix gently until the ingredients are wet and sticky. Use a large spoon to scoop up a dollop of the dumpling mixture and drop it onto the chicken mixture. Repeat until the dumpling mixture is used. Place the skillet into the oven and bake until the dumplings are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
