Herby Chicken and Dumplings

Name: Herby Chicken and Dumplings
Prep time: 120 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: chinese
Ingredients: One 1.3-1.5kg whole chicken; 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed; 3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks; 2 carrots, cut into large chunks; 2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into large chunks; 2 tsps peppercorns; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 3L cold tap water; For the Soup and Dumplings; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 carrots, diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 1 yellow onion, diced; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 195g all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 187ml buttermilk; 1/4 cup finely chopped chives; Reserved parsley leaves, finely chopped; 2-3 handfuls baby spinach; 125ml cream, 18% or 35%; 1/2 lemon, juiced

4.00 (20)

⏱ 120 mins 🍽 Serves 8 🌶 chinese 🏷 Chicken

This Chinese chicken dish is a comforting and hearty meal. A whole chicken is simmered with vegetables to create a rich broth, which then forms the base for a creamy soup. Fluffy dumplings, packed with fresh herbs, are cooked directly in the pot. The finished dish is enriched with cream, lemon juice, and baby spinach for a complete, warming dinner. It serves eight people and takes about 120 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Ingredients

One 1.3-1.5kg whole chicken
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tsps peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3L cold tap water
For the Soup and Dumplings
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
195g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
187ml buttermilk
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Reserved parsley leaves, finely chopped
2-3 handfuls baby spinach
125ml cream, 18% or 35%
1/2 lemon, juiced

Method

Place the chicken in a large stockpot with the garlic, celery chunks, carrot chunks, onion chunks, parsley stalks, peppercorns and salt. Pour in the water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked and pulls from the bone easily, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Skim any foam from the surface during cooking.
Use tongs to take the chicken from the pot and put it in a large bowl to cool for about 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a separate large bowl.
Put the empty pot back on the stove. Melt the butter inside it. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the melted butter into a small bowl and set it aside. Cook the diced carrots, celery and onion in the remaining butter in the pot, seasoning with salt and pepper, until soft and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour the reserved broth into the pot carefully and boil for 10 minutes.
Combine the flour, baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, the reserved melted butter, the chives and half of the chopped parsley. Mix just until combined and set the dumpling batter aside.
Take the skin off the cooled chicken and pull all the meat from the bones. Use two forks to shred the meat into large, bite-sized pieces.
Put the shredded chicken into the simmering soup pot. Stir in the baby spinach, cream, lemon juice and the rest of the parsley. Use two spoons or a small ice cream scoop to drop 16 to 18 portions of the dumpling batter into the pot, spacing them apart.
Put the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low and cook until the dumplings are fully cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition data not available.

Recipe details

CategoryChicken

Cuisinechinese

AuthorMary Berg