“I swear, she’s no chicken. She’s on the wrong side of thirty, if she be a day.” (Jonathan Swift, Polite Conversations 1783)
I feel like somehow gen Xers and millennials all leaned into a frumpy version of Chicken and Dumplings. Everyone makes a version that’s comforting, but also very, very boring. I think this is a wicked mistake. I think chicken and dumplings can be a sexy dish.
This recipe is a 90s style movie makeover in reverse. I took a plain-Jane recipe (nothing fussy at all) and add some slutty little glasses (in the form of heat, a little acid, more exciting herbs, and an umami layer). Using fennel, red pepper flakes, Parmesan rind, white wine, and tarragon are easy additions and make this simple dinner rich on the palate. It all adds up to a slutty little dish that will appeal to everyone with it’s inner beauty (i.e. classic Chicken and Dumpling flavors) . You might even say, it’s Johnathan Bailey in a pot.
Notes
Note about adding extra vegetables
I have added ½ a pound of green beans, peas, and/or cauliflower to the stew just before adding the dumplings, but we prefer a crunchy veggie on the side or a crisp salad.
Note about Slutty Little Glasses
My friend Elisa tuned me on to an article on Jonathan Bailey’s Slutty Little Glasses. I think this is a great way to depict the feminine gaze as leaning into masculine depth and complexity. This is in contrast to/conversation with 90s style makeover movies like She’s All That where the girl will remove her glasses to become an object of desire.
Key Ingredients
carrot
leek
onion
chicken stock
Parmesan rind
chicken breast
flour
butter
fresh herbs
milk
Chicken and Dumplings – Recipe
About 50-55 minutes start to finish. Serves 5. Requires a medium sized dutch oven or thick-bottomed pot with a lid.
Ingredients
Chicken Stew
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small/medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 medium carrots cut in half and then into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 medium bulb of fennel chopped
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups homemade chicken broth plus 1 cup water (or 4 cups store bought low sodium broth)
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast or tenders
- 1 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 3 inch Parmesan cheese rind
- Salt and pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes plus more to finish (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon (optional)
Dumplings
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or a blend of fresh tarragon and parsley)
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole milk or half and half
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
Step One
Prep chicken by cutting into 1 inch sized pieces. Set chicken aside. Prep vegetables: Chop fennel, onion, and carrots, and chop herbs and set aside.
Step Two
Heat a medium Dutch oven (ideally 5-7 quart), over medium heat and add butter. Once butter starts to sizzle, lower heat to medium low and add diced onions, chopped fennel, chopped carrots, fresh or dried thyme, fresh tarragon (optional), and a pinch of dried chili flakes (optional). Cook about 5 minutes or until onion starts to turn translucent.
Step Three
Once veggies start to soften and onion starts to look translucent on the edges add about ½-1 teaspoon of sea salt and ¼ cup flour and cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute (check the saltiness of your chicken broth before adding salt). Next, pour in ¼ cup dry white wine and continue stirring. Cook 1 minute more. Then, (stirring continuously) add about ¼ cup chicken broth. Once broth is absorbed add about ½ cup more and stir until you’ve got something that looks like veggies in glue, then slowly pour in the rest of the stock and stir until no lumps of floury “paste” remain. Add cheese rind and a few grinds of black pepper to the broth. Allow broth and veggies to come to a full simmer.
Step Four
Once broth is at a simmer, add chicken pieces. Then, while the stew comes to a very gentle boil, prep the dumplings. If the stew starts to come to a full boil, reduce heat until stew is back to a simmer.
Step Five
Make Dumplings: combine 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 and ½ teaspoons salt, in a mixing bowl. Mix and blend. Add fresh herbs and a few grinds of black pepper, stir until herbs are dispersed. Cut 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into roughly ¼ inch cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingers work the butter into flattened pea-sized pieces. Then pour ½ cup half and half or whole milk over the dough and use a fork to mix until wet dough forms.
Step Six
Drop roughly 2-3 tablespoon sized bits of dough on the top of the simmering stew. Cover the pot, and let it all cook somewhere between a simmer and a gentle boil for 12 minutes. (you can open the lid once and make sure that the stew is not at a hard boil).
Once cooked, turn off heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle fresh parsley over top (optional) and serve! We like to enjoy ours with a hearty kale salad or simple green veggies. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated.