When I eat my feelings it’s usually a riff on something my mother and grandmother made back in the day. Chicken and dumplings are a staple of my childhood. In their world chicken and dumplings were just a poached chicken and Bisquick dumplings. Adding veg and tarting up a biscuit dough is somewhat treasonous. As always when I make something I’m particularly proud of, my kids wanted none of it. Whatever. One of them is addicted to boxed mac and cheese and the other frequently chews on painters tape. Not arbiters of all that is tasty.
Soup:
1 large white onion, peeled and diced
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbs rendered bacon fat
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1 heart of celery w/ leaves, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp poultry seasoning
8 cups chicken stock
1 pound shredded chicken
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbs Dijon mustard
Dumplings:
¼ cup butter, melted
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
black pepper, fresh ground
1 cup butter milk
Sauté onion in bacon fat. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Stir in carrots and celery, then add seasonings and stock. Cook until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in chicken, sour cream, and mustard. Reduce to a simmer.
Melt butter in a microwave proof bowl. Add all dumpling ingredients and mix to form a stiff dough. Drop dumplings off of a spoon into simmering soup, but be careful not to boil them or they’ll fall apart. Partially cover, and cook just simmering for about 20 minutes.
Delight. Utter delight. Even given that my kids were all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ because their mission is to fully reject the only food culture I can give them.
Not The Knowing One 