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The shape of dumplings varies by culture and recipe – from the pinstriped barrel shape of gnocchi to the large round shape of Chinese buns, with lots of stuffed and unfilled variations in between. Southern-style chicken and dumplings tend to be flat, spaghetti-like strips or round dough-like pieces in a simmering soup.
Home chef Amy Martin’s dumplings started out flat and have evolved into a treat that goes beyond pasta, soft, delicious, and subtly flavored with sage. I recently got a taste of this transformation, and Martin guided me through four generations of her family’s recipes.
Amy Martin rolls dumplings in the kitchen with her French rolling pin.
Martin spent her youth in the company of her grandparents and great-grandparents in Calhoun, Arkansas—where the birds came from one of several chicken coops her grandfather ran as a farmer for Tyson Foods. Martin recalls that when her great-grandmother Frankie Gunnels Young made chicken and dumplings, “she would kill the chicken herself, cook it whole, and then take the meat off the bones. “
Martin, who lives in Lafayette, is no longer surrounded by chicken coops, but she archives recipe cards handwritten by her great-grandmother, substituting chicken thighs and pre-made stock for boiled chicken. If she wants to cut down on prep time or heat in the kitchen, she uses store-cooked rotisserie chicken.
Amy Martin rolls dumplings with her French rolling pin.
After 28 years of honing family recipes, Martin moves effortlessly in the kitchen — an elegant dance of massaging spices into chicken, rolling dough, stirring stock — interspersed with hand washing and sliding bites my way.
As the soup simmered, avid baker Martin served a piece of chocolate cake. I bit into its rich chocolate flavor as if it were a fun little snack, put the rest aside for dessert, and handed me a sample of the stewed dumplings.
Amy Martin added the dumplings one by one to the boiling soup.
The first time I tasted it, the dumplings reminded me of egg noodles wrapped in a simple soup stock. A few steps into the recipe, toasting cornbread in her grandmother’s seasoned cast-iron skillet, Martin handed me another flavor—that’s when the “wow!” happened. The dumplings are slightly puffed up by the goodness of the soup, creating a tender and delicious texture – no longer spaghetti-like.
“In Calhoun, we have cornbread, butter beans, sliced tomatoes and green onions,” Martin said. “We grew up with a large garden. We would pick fresh green onions, cut off the roots, rinse them, and eat them fresh.”
Amy Martin prepares dumplings in her kitchen.
When I made a mental note to replant my sad shallots at home, Martin served up a big bowl of chicken and dumplings, and a hot piece of cornbread stuffed with melted butter. The humble cornbread has a surprising crunch on the outside – thanks to Martin’s preheated pan greased with cornmeal before adding the batter – goes well with tender chicken and dumplings, filling Filled my stomach and comforted my soul.
Back home, I cooked a pot of Martin’s chicken and dumplings for the family, recalling how easy she made them, and wondering how she managed to get so even on her dough strips.
“Practice and luck,” she said.
With luck and time-tested, reliable recipes as my guide, my family loves it.
Chicken and Dumplings – A recipe from four generations of Amy Martin’s family.
Chicken and Dumplings
6-8 servings; recipe by Amy Martin
For chicken:
8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
salt and black pepper to taste
rubbed sage to taste – optional
Olive or vegetable oil – enough to lightly coat chicken thighs
dumpling:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling the dough
1 egg
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons water
For stocks:
2 32-ounce cartons chicken stock (substitute homemade chicken stock if you have it)
10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or more, to thicken stock if desired
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place uncooked drumsticks in a cast iron skillet (large enough to fit all drumsticks in a single layer).
3. Sprinkle the thighs with salt, pepper and sage.
4. Drizzle the oil over the thighs and massage the chicken to distribute the seasoning and oil evenly.
5. Arrange the thighs in a single layer in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes—until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
6. When the thighs are done, use a fork to pull them apart and let them rest. Skim off excess fat.
7. While the chicken is grilling, make the dumpling dough. Combine 1.5 cups flour, eggs, shortening, salt, and water to form a soft dough. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball.
8. Divide the dough into thirds.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into three sheets, each about ⅛ inch thick.
10. Let the dough dry for about 20 minutes.
11. While the dough is resting, pour the chicken stock into the stock pot and bring to a boil.
12. Once the soup is boiling, season with salt, pepper, and sage.
13. While the soup is simmering, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the dumpling dough into thin strips (about 1/2 inch by 2 inches).
14. Carefully place the dumpling strips one by one into the boiling soup. The dumplings will sink to the bottom as they cook and then float to the top. Continue adding the dough into the ingredients one by one until all the dough is in the pan. Cook the dumplings until soft when cut.
15. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally so the dumplings don’t stick together.
16. Add the chicken thighs to the soup with the dumplings, leaving the pan juices in the pan.
17. Add cream of chicken broth and milk to a saucepan.
18. Stir to combine, making sure to add any leftovers from the cooking thighs.
19. Pour the cream of chicken soup and milk mixture into the stock pot and add the dumplings and chicken.
20. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, so that the dumplings will not stick.
21. If a thicker stock is desired, make a slurry by mixing a tablespoon of all-purpose flour and about three tablespoons of the stock from the saucepan in a small bowl. Return the slurry to the simmering stock and mix thoroughly. Simmer for a few more minutes.
22. Serve in a bowl or deep plate with cornbread. Recommended side dishes: sliced tomatoes, fresh green onions and soybeans.
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