Chicken and Dumplings

Preparation

1. Chicken

   Step 1

   Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and remove any excess fat. Place the chicken in a large pot and add the cold water to cover. Add the celery, butter, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat.

   Step 2

   Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, uncovered, skimming the rising foam as needed.

   Step 3

   Remove the chicken, reserving the cooking liquid in the pot, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Skin and bone the chicken, setting aside the meat and discarding the skin and bones. Tear the meat into bite-size pieces.

2. Dumplings

   Step 4

   Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl and stir to mix. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives in a crosscutting motion until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter remains cool and doesn’t melt into the flour. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. Stir to combine, just until the dough comes together. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add a little more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together.

   Step 5

   Form into a flat disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, roll about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into 2-inch squares.

   Step 6

   Bring the reserved cooking liquid to a low boil and drop in the dumplings one at a time to keep them from sticking. The broth should continue at a low boil; increase the heat if needed. Add the chicken and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer, undisturbed, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dumplings are cooked through. Test for doneness by slicing a dumpling in half. If it is light and airy throughout, you know it’s done, but if it’s dense in the center, it needs more time.

   Step 7

   When the dumplings are done, remove from the heat, season with additional salt and pepper to taste, stir in the parsley, and serve warm.

3. Sara’s Swaps

   Step 8

   Speaking of resourcefulness, my mother, Say, used to make her version of chicken and dumplings with flour tortillas in place of the dumplings. That way, she didn’t have to go to the trouble of making the dumpling dough. To make this dish Say-style, use 4 flour tortillas, cut in half crosswise and then into 1-inch strips, in place of the dumplings. Dust the tortillas lightly with flour to keep them from sticking when cut and add the strips to the pot, one at a time, with the shredded chicken. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until plump and tender.