Richard's Chicken and Dumplings

Richard Jones
Serves: 4

This is a different way of doing dumpling's from the ones that I know how to make. They are made into a ball when my normal ones are rolled out flat. Even the chicken is prepared differently. It is pan fried and oven baked.

Ingredients

Chicken:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces vegetable oil
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 bay leaf
48 ounces chicken stock
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces flour
1 Dumplings, recipe below
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley

Dumplings:
¼ pound unsalted butter
½ cup minced onions
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon rubbed sage
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2½ cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
½ cup milk

Cooking Method

Chicken:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. 

2. Heat the vegetable oil, over medium heat, in roasting pan on top of stove. 

3. Place chicken in the oil and brown on both sides. 

4. Add the vegetables and bay leaf. 

5. Sauté the vegetables for 1 minute. 

6. Add the chicken stock, cover and place in the oven. 

7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. 

8. Remove from the oven. 

To create a sauce...

• Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pan, leaving the stock. 

In a small sauce pan...

1. Over medium heat, combine the melted butter and flour. 

2. Mix well. 

3. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly for a blond roux. 

Place roasting pan on stove over a low flame and whisk in the roux. 

1. Once the sauce has thickened, about 6 to 8 minutes, add the reserved chicken and vegetables. 

2. Add the dumplings and simmer for 5 minutes. 

3. Spoon into individual serving bowls. 

4. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Dumpling's:

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. 

2. Add minced onions. 

3. Cook onions for approximately 2 minutes until tender. 

4. Do not brown. 

5. Remove from heat. 

Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl. 

• Mix dry ingredients with butter and onions in saucepan. 

In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk, beating slightly. 

1. Add eggs and milk to flour mixture in saucepan. 

2. Mix so it achieves the consistency of mashed potatoes. 

3. To cook, drop by the teaspoon onto a rack in a steamer. 

4. Steam until dumplings are cooked, about 4 to 6 minutes.