Flat Dumplings Recipes

SOUTHERN CHICKEN AND FLAT DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Steps:

• Remove the pouch of giblets from the cavity of your chicken and use for another purpose. If your chicken came with a neck, you can cook that right along with the rest.
• In your Instant Pot or a Dutch oven, place the chicken (and neck, if you have one), boxed stock, onion, garlic, vinegar, salt, poultry seasoning and smoked pepper or peppercorns.
• Bring up to pressure and cook at high pressure for 33 minutes. (If using a Dutch oven, simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through and you have a nice, rich stock, about 2 hours. You may have to flip the chicken to get it to cook evenly).
• For the most tender meat, allow for complete natural pressure release, about 30 minutes. If cooking in a Dutch oven, allow the meat to cool in the pot.
• Carefully remove all the meat from the carcass, get rid of as many bones and onion pieces as you can. Once you've removed most of the larger pieces, pour the stock through a strainer to get all the little bits.
• Return the meat to the pot, cool and then refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, spoon off the layer of chicken fat from the surface of the stock. You can use this in your dumplings, to make matzo ball soup, or you can discard.
• Place your Instant Pot insert back in your Instant Pot and turn to saute or place your Dutch oven over. Stir occasionally until the stock has melted back to liquid (it will probably be like soft Jello straight from the fridge). You don't have to make it hot at this point, just warm enough to melt the gelatin in the stock.
• Pour the stock and chicken through a strainer. Press down on the chicken to get as much of the stock as possible. Refrigerate the chicken.
• Taste the broth and adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Turn the Instant Pot back to saute and bring stock to a rolling boil. If using a Dutch oven, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Drop dumplings (procedure below) into the pot, a few at a time so they don't stick together.
• Boil for about 15-20 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through. NOTE: A few of the smaller bits of dumpling may dissolve, and that's totally fine. This is what thickens your broth into a silky, dreamy gravy.
• Return the reserved chicken to the pot to reheat, about 5 minutes.
• Serve in bowls with a fork and a spoon. Have some good bread or rolls handy to sop up the extra sauce.
• Enjoy!
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, poultry seasoning and black pepper.
• Drop in the chicken fat, bacon fat, butter, or shortening, and rub in with your fingertips until it is completely incorporated. No pea-sized pieces here. You want it to disappear.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stream in the milk.
• Bring the dough together with a fork. It will be fairly wet.
• Liberally flour your counter.
• Scrape the dumpling dough onto the floured surface. Liberally flour the top of the dough and roll out into a rough rectangle about 1/8-3/16" thick. If the dough sticks, add some more flour to assist with rolling, but don't knead it in. Use your dough scraper to lift the dough and toss some flour underneath and add some to the top as necessary.
• Brush excess flour off the top of the dough. Cut into 2"x3" rectangles (don't measure--just use a pizza cutter and go for it), and they're ready to be cooked.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN AND FLAT DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• IF USING THE SLOW COOKER: Remove the chicken from the package and discard the giblets inside. Place it in your slow cooker. Roughly chop the onion, celery, and carrot and add to the slow cooker. Add the salt, garlic, and water. Set the cooker on low, cover, and cook for 8 hours.
• IF USING THE STOVE TOP: Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot (you may need a bit more water to make sure the chicken is completely covered), bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat keeping the pot at a simmer for one hour.
• When the broth is finished cooking, gently remove the chicken from the pot. If using the slow cooker the chicken will most likely fall apart as you move it. That is okay, and good! Set it aside to cool while you work with the broth.
• Line a strainer with cheesecloth or several layers of paper towels. Place over a container and strain the broth into it. Discard the veggies. Let the broth cool so that the fat will separate to the top. Once you have a layer of fat on top, skim it off and discard.
• Meanwhile, pick the meat off the chicken. Separate the skin and bones from the pieces and shred the chicken. I find the only way to do this is with clean hands. Once all the meat is separated, put it in the refrigerator until you need it.
• TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS: put the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter pieces into a food processor, (or use a large mixing bowl and a pastry cutter) and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk a little at a time and mix just until the dough begins to form. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead just about 3 or 4 times. Roll out to about 1/4" thick and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into dumplings of your desired size. They will expand when cooked. I suggest cutting them about 1" by 2". Let the dumplings sit on the counter to dry out while you begin the next step.
• Put all of the chicken broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook for about 30 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavors a bit. After about 30 minutes, start adding the dumplings one by one into the pot, stirring in between so that they do not stick together. Cook the dumplings for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove about 1/2 cup of broth from the pot and whisk in 2 TBSP of flour. Add this into the pot to thicken and create a bit more creaminess. Add the shredded chicken and season well with salt and pepper, extra heavy on the pepper! That is key!

FLAT DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix together 1st four ingredients.
• Then mix eggs with milk and add to mixture to form dough.
• Roll out on floured surface about a 1/8 inch thick and cut into desired strips.
• Boil in a broth of your choice for 10 minutes with lid off, then finish for 10 minutes with lid on.
• Eat and Enjoy!

ROLLED DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening and add milk to make a stiff dough.
• Roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1 inch squares, 1 to 1 1/2 inch strips or diamonds. Sprinkle lightly with flour and drop into boiling chicken stock. Cover tightly and boil gently for 8 to 10 minutes.

GRANDMA'S DUMPLINGS FROM SCRATCH: 100+ YEAR OLD RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix the first 6 ingredients together until combined. Slowly add the water until you form a dough. You may have to add more or less water to form the ball.
• Roll out the dumpling dough on a floured surface thin and cut into bite size pieces.
• Drop them one at a time into simmering chicken/broth. She would always drop a few then wait a bit, then drop a few more. She said this kept them from sticking together in the end. After they are all added, give a gentle stir (once or twice around the pot, then leave it alone).
• Let the dumplings simmer in the chicken/broth mixture until they float to the top (about 15 minutes or so). I have let them simmer a longer, and that's fine. She would taste the broth one last time after the dumplings were done for seasoning before we got to eat them!