MOMMA'S BEST CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Momma's Best Chicken and Dumplings image

There's a lot of love in those dumplings! This is comfort food at its best and so worth the time and effort. I love the ohhs, awws, and OMGs, smiles, and sighs of total satisfaction that come with this bowl of heaven.

Provided by MA McBridges

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Chicken

Time 2h33m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

¼ cup butter
2 ribs celery, quartered
1 large carrot, quartered
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon mashed garlic
2 large bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts
water to cover
2 tablespoons self-rising flour (such as White Lily®)
2 cups self-rising flour (such as White Lily®)
¼ cup cold shortening
¼ cup chicken broth, slightly chilled

Steps:

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning; cook and stir until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Push vegetable mixture to the sides and add chicken; cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Pour enough water over the chicken to cover by 3 inches; bring to a boil. Stir, scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat; simmer until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken and carrots to a serving plate with a large slotted spoon; let cool.
Ladle 1/4 cup cooking liquid into a bowl; cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons flour. Stir back into the pot.
Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl; cut in shortening with 2 knives until mixture forms pea-sized bits. Mix in chilled chicken broth until dough is combined.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead 5 to 6 times; pat down to 1-inch thickness. Sprinkle lightly with flour; roll out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into squares with a sharp knife.
Drop squares, in batches, into simmering cooking liquid, moving squares to the side with each addition. Partially cover pot; simmer until dumplings are firm, about 12 minutes. Separate any dumplings that stick together. Remove from heat; keep covered.
Bone chicken; cut into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot. Chop carrot; return to the pot. Cool chicken and dumplings, about 30 minutes, before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 405.4 calories, Carbohydrate 28.4 g, Cholesterol 83 mg, Fat 19.3 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 27.9 g, SaturatedFat 7.2 g, Sodium 718.1 mg, Sugar 1.2 g