Chicken n' Dumplins and Aunt Dotty

Chicken n’ Dumplins and my Aunt Dotty; I cannot think of one without thinking of the other. My Aunt Dot made the best Chicken n’ Dumplins, ever.  The dumplins were the perfect size with just the right fluff and bite to them. I recall being in her kitchen in England, AR and seeing dumplins rolled out over every inch of countertop that she had and flour scattered.

Aunt Dot could not cook in small portions. Everything that she made was enough to feed a small army. I remember my Mom telling her not to cook so much and her reply was that she didn’t know how. I found this strange, but later found out that she used to be a cook on a Mississippi river boat so she had to cook in huge portions. I guess when you do that for so long it kind of sticks with you. Also, she was the oldest of nine children on a farm so she grew up cooking in large portions with her mother.

I have asked my cousins how she made her dumplins and no one seems to really know. Below is my recipe with two versions of dumplins, both of which are really similar to Aunt Dotty’s. Yum!

Chicken n’ Dumplins

1 3 lbs. whole chicken

4 c. water

2 c. chicken broth

1 carrot, chopped

1 medium onion, cut in quartered

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 c. milk

In a large pot or Dutch oven place the whole chicken and add water, chicken broth, carrot, onion, celery, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer for 1 hour or until veggies are tender and chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Remove the carrot, onion, and celery pieces from the broth and discard. Save the broth. Pull apart the cooled chicken into bite size pieces discarding the skin and bones.

Dumplins I

2 c. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

3 Tsps. shortening

1 c. buttermilk

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; cut in the shortening until the mixture is like coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 4 or 5 minutes. Roll dough out until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squared dumplins with a knife or a pizza cutter.

Dumplins II

1 c. milk

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 c. all-purpose flour

Combine milk, oil, baking powder, and salt. Start adding the flour; may need more or less of it. Dough should come together but still be sticky. Turn dough onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough out until it is 1/8-inch thickness. This is very sticky dough so make sure there is plenty of flour so that it won’t stick to the surface or rolling pin. Let rest for 1 hour. Cut into dumplins with a knife or a pizza cutter about 2-inches square, no larger.

Bring broth to a low rolling boil and drop in the dumplings, one or two at a time. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally so dumplins don’t stick together. Add the chicken, pepper, and 1 c. milk, cook for 3 minutes. Serve.