A wintertime tradition: Chicken and dumplings

Like most Februarys on the ranch, it has been the coldest month of the last year. It’s also the month that my family celebrates two important birthdays, my little brother, Robert, and my dearest cousin, Patty Ann. Growing up, we spent a lot of weekends and chilly afternoons sledding down snowdrifts and building snow forts. We would stay out until it got dark and the tips of our noses were bright red with cold. We would trudge into our grandmother’s house and she would make us soup with a side of Saltine crackers. It was made with simple ingredients, things that my grandmother had in her pantry. It was the perfect food for a cold winter’s day.

As we got older, there were fewer sledding parties and sometimes grandma wasn’t able to heat up some soup for us. However, the memories I have of those chilly afternoons will always be special to me and I want to share a recipe with you all that stays true to the idea of something made from simple ingredients, and that is perfect for a cold winter day: chicken and dumplings.

Although modern chicken and dumplings are strongly associated with the southern United States, soups or stews with steamed dumplings have been documented going back to the 1600s in Europe. The first American cookbook to feature boiled flour dumplings in broth is Mary Randolf’s 1836 cookbook “The Virginia Housewife.” Today, there are two distinct versions, Northern and Southern. In the southern United States, the dough for the biscuits is rolled out flat and cut into squares or strips. In the north, the sticky dough is dropped into the pot and steamed on top of the soup.

My mother’s family is from the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York and so I will be sharing the northern style, but both are delicious and you could prepare the dough whichever way you wished. This recipe is also great because if you do not have time to cook a whole chicken, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and a 32 oz container of chicken broth and still create an amazing and easy meal in one pot. Most of the ingredients can be found at your local farmer’s market or your pantry as well.

Last month, I gave you all a challenge to take some time for yourself. This month, I would like to ask that we all take the time to remember your loved ones and maybe reach out to someone you haven’t found the time to talk to. It’s the memories of good times that get us through the bad ones. I hope that a perfect meal for a cold winter day can help you bring your family together around the table. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Yield: serves 8

Ingredients

•1 whole chicken (4 lb.), preferably heritage, legs removed

•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

•½ lb. slab bacon, cut into slivers

•2 Tbsp. canola oil

•2 tsp. dried thyme

•½ tsp. paprika

•4 cloves garlic, chopped

•4 medium carrots, thickly sliced

•2-3 medium potatoes, cubed

•4 stalks celery, thickly sliced

•2 large yellow onions, chopped

•1 fresh bay leaf

•2 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

•1 cup white wine

•1 Tbsp. baking powder

•1⁄2 tsp. baking soda

•5 1⁄2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted cooled slightly

•1 cup buttermilk

•2 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary

Instructions

Halve the chicken legs, separating the thigh from the drumstick. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Place remaining chicken in a pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the breast is just cooked, 12–15 minutes. Remove the chicken. Cut the breast and wings from the carcass. Discard any skin and bones from the breast and wing meat, cut into 1-inch chunks, and refrigerate. Return the carcass to the pot and simmer for 1 hour. Strain; reserve 4 cups broth (save the remainder for another use).

(If you are starting with a rotisserie chicken, start here) Meanwhile, in a large wide pot over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.

(Skip this step if your chicken is already cooked) Add the oil; when the oil is hot, brown the chicken drumsticks and thighs, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the garlic, carrots, celery, onions, thyme, paprika, and bay leaf; cook until light brown, 18–20 minutes. Add 2⁄3 cup flour; cook for 1 minute. Add the wine; cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the reserved broth and salt and pepper to taste. Nestle in the drumsticks, thighs, and bacon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1⁄2 tsp. salt and 1⁄4 tsp. pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, buttermilk, and rosemary. Pour into the flour mixture and stir to make a thick and sticky batter. Uncover the pot; add the breast and wing meat. Drop the batter in 8 large spoonfuls over the top. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked, 20-25 minutes.