It snowed last night in Maryland, not a lot, but enough to make things feel cozy and wintry. When winter finally sets in (it’s nearly the end of January, but we’ve had as many 60-degree days here as we have 40-degree days, so it hasn’t felt like it yet), I love lazy Saturdays and Sundays when we can relax – as much as young kids will allow – and eat hearty comfort food.
Today I desperately wanted something simmering on the stove all day, with wafts of deep, savory smells permeating the house. Growing up my grandmother always made chicken and dumplings in the winter, southern-style with drop biscuits on top, not with the doughy pasta strips. Fond memories I have of those warm bowlfuls of yum! Perfect for a cold, snowy Maryland day.
Here’s my version:
Chicken Stew & Drop Biscuit Dumplings
Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 2 hours 20 minutes; Rest: 1 hour; Serves: 4
Ingredients
5 chicken thighs, bone-in & skin on
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup whole milk
For the dumplings:
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Directions
In a Dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, add the chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, sea salt, garlic salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and bay leaves. Fill the pot with water, just enough to cover the chicken. Set to boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 2-hours.
Remove the pot from the stove and pull out the chicken (be careful – it will be very tender, and it may fall apart as you grab it); set the chicken aside. Throw out the bay leaves. Place the pot of stock in the fridge, uncovered, and let it cool for an hour. Pull the chicken off the bone, chop into bite-sized pieces and store it in the fridge while the stock cools.
After the stock has cooled down, skim off the fat that’s risen to the top and throw it away. Place the pot back on the stove, add the chicken and the milk, and bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to let it simmer while you make the dumplings.
To make the dumplings:
In a medium bowl, mix together the oil and milk. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and parsley, and stir together until the dough just comes together – don’t stir too much, or the already stiff dough will turn gummy and tough.
Drop the dumplings by rounded tablespoonfuls gently onto the simmering chicken stew – they should rest on top, half-way submerged. Once you’ve used all the dough, cover the pot tightly, and then let them cook (undisturbed – don’t peek!) for 20-minutes.
Serve hot over rice, or just by itself as a stew. Delicious as leftovers!
This same dish is half-made as I type. I turned it off mid-recipe so we could eat our pizza dinner. Now that I have read your recipe, I will add some milk.
I make my dumplings with Bisquick – shame on me…..but I cannot tell the difference between them and the ones my grandmother made from scratch. I make very small dumplings. Any drop dumplings are better than those things called “slippery dumplings” which are popular in the southern part of the state (Delaware). They are just big noodles!
@JoAnn – That’s like me and pie crust. I just don’t make it from scratch – the store bought pie dough is fine, no BETTER, than my own. And far more simple. How ironic that you’re also making the same thing! Enjoy!
Chicken stew rop b iscuits dumplings are shared in the post here. Know all about it