Food memories are precious ones, especially comfort foods from childhood. My mother was a wonderful cook, and our kitchen always smelled of the warm, flavorful foods of the South—black eye peas, fried chicken, pork chops, thickening gravy, field corn, pot roast—and my favorite, chicken and dumplings. It was the ultimate comfort food of my childhood.
My mom’s dumplings were true Southern—no Bisquick or refrigerated biscuit dough allowed in her recipe. They were firm and, as she called them, “tough”—NEVER mushy. Mom added extra black pepper and big chunks of tender, juicy chicken as it simmered away. I can close my eyes, and I’m there again with my mom in the kitchen…the warm, comforting aromas of rich broth, spicy black pepper, succulent chicken and those incredible dumplings…
This recipe is easy, inexpensive, and the best Southern comfort food you’ll ever eat.
Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings
From the Kitchen of Dot Turnbow (1974)
2 ½ - 3 lb. fryer pieces
6 cups cold water
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup sweet milk
Place chicken pieces into a large stock pot. Cover with water to which seasonings have been added. Cover pot and cook on low heat for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Meat should be tender but not cooked enough to slip off bone. When done, remove from heat and place chicken on a board to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skin, bones, and shred or cut into bite-size pieces.
There should be at least 2 ½ to 3 cups broth. To this, add the chicken and one cup of sweet milk. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover the broth and set on medium heat until ready to drop dumplings in. The broth should be near boiling when dumplings are dropped into it.
Dumplings
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons shortening
½ cup cold water or milk
½ teaspoon salt
Sift flour and salt together. Cut shortening into flour with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles cornmeal. Sprinkle with water or milk and stir until all the flour is damp. Turn onto floured board and knead several times. Roll to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1” x 2” strips. Drop in a layer of dumplings at a time and cook covered until dumplings are plump and clear, 12-15 minutes.
