Chicken and Dumplings, Soup Style

I have a confession to make. I'm not a real capital-S Southerner [and neither is Kate, you know, my blood relation]. We don't come pre-programmed with Grandma's fried chicken recipe, or a tradition of layer cakes like the fine ladies of our neighboring state. In fact, I'd never even really heard much about Chicken & Dumplings until it changed my life at the fantastic new Ormsby's. Sure you could opt for a banger or burger, but their nightly rotating specials seem to be where it's at. A mix of pub food and Soul food [definitely with a capital S].

But the recent cold weather has kept us holed up and hibernating, so I had to recreate this at home. Rather than an old southern grandma, FoodBlogSearch advised. And lucky for me, I found a version that is actually a soup instead of what I understand to be a traditionally thick, really-bad-for-you stew.

The real miracle here? You'd think this is a finicky dish that requires A) skill and B) simmering for hours. In fact, neither is really necessary. Actual stove-on cook time flexible to be as little as half an hour, or more should you wish to reduce for the stew-like consistency [note: do this BEFORE adding the dumplings]. One more thing: Don't be afraid to use a serious amount of salt, but go slowly and taste frequently.

Chicken and Dumplings, Soup Style
Inspired by Chow.com
Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed up or diced
2 tablespoons sherry or dry white wine
6-7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (original recipe called for 8 cups, so feel free to increase for a more soup-like experience)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (up to 1 1/4 lbs for more bites)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup fresh chives (optional, as my chive plant is currently hibernating, like me)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk (1% worked great, but they recommend whole)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 large head savoy cabbage, large dice (about 6 cups)

1. Heat oil in a large, shallow pot (such as a dutch oven) over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, celery, and garlic and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add a pinch of flour to the sauteing vegetables and stir. Deglaze with sherry or white wine and let the liquid evaporate for a minute or two.

3. Add broth, thyme and chicken, and bring to a boil.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, chives, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl to break up any lumps. Stir in milk and butter until dough just comes together (it will be very thick).

5. When chicken is cooked through (it will be firm and opaque), add carrots and cabbage and reduce heat to medium low. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

6. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time into soup and repeat until pot is full of dumplings [you may not be able to use all the dough]. Cover and cook until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic: Sauced

Fat is in. I guess we have Julia Child's renewed fame of this past summer to thank for that. Though I decidedly WILL NOT THANK that hack Julie who attempted to share the silver screen with Our Lady of Brown Butter.

I will thank Kate for peeling all 40 cloves of garlic for this recipe. And for her contribution of real honest-to-god home made chicken stock.

The fact that Mark Bittman blessed the pre-peeled stuff over four years ago, made me assume it would be easy to find in my pantry [aka the Publix next door]. But alas, none of the freshly peeled stuff. And we decided to forgo attempting one of the many professed garlic-peeling tricks: blanching, soaking in cold water, rolling in the jar opener [Chris' favorite].

Three heads of garlic later though, we had our 40 cloves and were ready to try this classic recipe. Hey, if it's in the Joy of Cooking, it's a classic to me.

I'm not quite sure why I though we had to try making this recipe. Can't say I've ever had it before. Expectations were nonexistent. I'm thinking it probably had something to do with last winter's OBSESSION with roasted garlic. The cold weather that is resettling around these parts reminded me to crave some toasty garlic goodness. And this did not disappoint.

In fact, I would say we were pretty much BLOWN. AWAY. Oh the Sauce. Delicious rich buttery sauce that forms in the pan. Dip in your chicken, your bread, your fingers. It really went to our heads. Or maybe it was Julia's "a little in the pot, a little in the cook" philosophy.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from NYTimes 10/31/07
Yield: 6 servings

Chicken: 4 Thighs pieces, 2 big breast pieces [be sure to use at least a few thigh pieces for their higher fat content]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
About 40 large garlic cloves [careful not to smash them to bits]
handful of fresh Thyme [use less if its dried]
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup homemade chicken stock [original calls for 1/2 c., but we increased due to the homemadiness]

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Place a deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat, and add oil and butter. Or in our case, use one of each to speed things along.

2. When fats are hot, add chicken pieces skin side down and cook until skin turns an even, golden brown, about 5 minutes. Work in batches, if necessary, and carefully regulate heat to avoid scorching skin. Turn pieces and brown them on other side for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Take chicken pieces out of the pot(s) on a plate and cover with foil. Add the garlic cloves to the skillet. Saute, shaking or stirring pan frequently, until garlic is lightly browned on all sides, very approximately 6 minutes.

4. Add wine and stock to deglaze the pan. Layer chicken back in pan on top of the garlic and stock, then sprinkle with thyme.

5. Cover and continue cooking until juices run clear when a thigh is pricked, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Serve chicken with garlic, delicious sauce and bread to soak up both.