The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
Ingredients:
Broth
1 full chicken
1 white onion
3 large carrots cut into fourths
3 stalks of celery cut into fourths
8 cups of low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Paprika
Dumplings
1 ¾ cups flour (plus extra for dusting counter)
1/3 cup of shortening
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup of milk
½ teaspoon of salt
Other
4 tablespoons of cornstarch
Parsley for garnish
Instructions:
First, cut up your chicken, onion, carrots, and celery as specified in the above ingredients list. Season to taste using a combination of the listed spices and add to a large pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer while covered for forty-five to sixty minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
While the broth, chicken, and vegetables are simmering, you can make your dumplings. First, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening and mix well with a fork until you are sure all the shortening is mixed in evenly. Add milk a little at a time, mixing here and there to combine well. You may not end up using all of your milk, just make sure your dough is soft but not sticky.
Knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth. Re-flour your surface generously and roll the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into one inch by two-inch strips.
Remove the chicken and vegetables from your broth. Discard skin and bones and chop your chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside. Gently add the dumplings into your broth and simmer for another fifteen to twenty minutes until tender. Add your chicken and vegetables back to the broth and cook for a few more minutes until heated through.
If you wish to thicken your broth a bit, using a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water and mix well. Add to the boiling broth a bit at a time and stir until you are happy with the consistency.
Serve immediately in bowls and enjoy!
Commentary:
This recipe is one of my favorite comfort meals. It is a great comforting meal that makes enough to serve eight people. It can be easily cut in half for a smaller crowd or stored for later and warms up great as leftovers! While it is time consuming, it is very easy and cheap to make, but makes plenty to share with your friends or use as leftovers. It is a great meal to have on hand for when you are sick and can be frozen for up to one month and reheated at one-minute intervals, stirring in between. This is also a great option for a chilly, rainy day. I personally enjoy it with the carrots, celery, and onion added back into the broth along with the chicken, but if you are not a fan of vegetables or even just not a fan of one or two, you can definitely leave them out of the finished product. Just be sure to at least include them in the making of your broth to get the full flavor. The seasonings listed above are my personal favorite to use when making this recipe, but feel free to experiment with your favorites. This recipe is hard to mess up! It is incredibly satisfying and filling on its own, but a side of homemade garlic bread is a nice touch. Just brush sliced French or sourdough bread with melted butter and season with garlic and parsley to your preference.