In a world dominated by foodporn of Instagram and refined dishes, we must not let those of a life pass in the background. You know what I mean: unpretentious recipes that nourish, comfort and warm. Many of these dishes are unpretentious because originally they could not have, since they were born in a context of poor kitchenthis “poverty cuisine” is coming: cheap ingredients, not too plentiful, and lots of mouths to feed.
It was in one of these circles that one of the stars of southern cuisine in the United States was born: Chicken and Dumplings, whose estimated date of birth is 1929, the Great Depression. The dish is basically a chicken and vegetable soup, in which balls of dough made from flour, dairy products and eggs are cooked, super spongy and juicy. This mass would probably be created with the intention of heightening the dish, making it more hearty, but they are the most delicious part of it, full of flavor.
This is a slightly more sophisticated version of what was done in American homes in the 1930s: dumplings, for example, are made with fresh cream, which adds nice touches of acidity and smoothness. Instead of making the stock with water and a whole chicken, I made it with drumsticks and brick chicken stock from the supermarket, which forms a tastier base and results in juicier meat. Halfway through the preparation, a kind of white roux – butter and flour – is added to the broth, to give it a little more consistency and emulsify the fat released by the chicken. I hope you American purists; If something like this exists, don’t be too offended. In any case, it gives the same result as the original: a hot, tasty, easy dish, and above all, which makes you feel at home and forget your worries for a second.
Difficulty
Serve the dumplings without breaking them.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 6 chicken thighs with skin and bones (approx. 1,250 kg)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 stalk of celery
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1.5 liters of chicken broth
- 500ml dry white wine
- 60g unsalted butter
- 30g wheat flour
- fresh parsley
- Grated lemon
- Olive oil
- salt and black pepper
For the dumplings
- 180g wheat flour
- 6 g baking powder (Royal type)
- 4g of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 175 g fresh cream (or kefir, Greek yoghurt or cream)
- 1 egg size L
- 30g unsalted butter
preparation
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Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot, add plenty of olive oil and sear the thighs skin side down, 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned . Turn them over, add the white wine and let reduce for two minutes.
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Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes, until the thighs are cooked but still juicy (74 degrees Celsius at their thickest part). Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion, carrot, celery and rosemary.
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Remove the thighs from the pan when ready and set aside. Clean the surface of the broth from all impurities and foam that has risen.
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In a bowl, add the melted butter and flour, and mix until smooth. Gradually add two ladlefuls of hot broth and incorporate. Add the mixture to the pan, stir, then add the vegetables and rosemary. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs: in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. In another bowl, mix the crème fraîche and the egg until smooth. Add the melted butter and cream mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Integrate all the ingredients mixing as little as possible, so that they have a better texture.
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Uncover the pan and add spoonfuls of the dumpling batter, separated from each other. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let them cook for 20 minutes, without uncovering them at any time. Meanwhile, shred the chicken thighs into strips.
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Uncover the pan and add the chicken, wedging it between the meatballs, being careful not to break them. Serve in bowls and finish with chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper.
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