Back in early November, I had the opportunity to have a cooking lesson with Aunt Millie. She’s not really a relative, but I’m claiming her, anyway. People can be kin in ways other than by blood. At ninety-six, Aunt Millie has amassed a treasure of knowledge about cooking, as well as many other topics. One recipe she shared with me is for chicken and dumplings. When I told her I usually made them using flour tortillas, she quipped, “We’ve all made that mistake.”
I’ll no longer be making my past mistakes, now that I have her recipe. I’ve made these dumplings multiple times, and they are the best!
Aunt Millie’s Chicken and Dumplings
Boil about 6 chicken thighs or other chicken pieces in water until tender. Reserve the broth, but remove the chicken pieces, let cool, and debone.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Crisco (not oil), melted
1 egg, well beaten
5 tablespoons tap water
Combine flour and salt. Stir in melted Crisco. Combine egg and water, add to flour mixture. Mix well, divide into three balls of dough. Sprinkle surface with flour and roll thin. Cut into narrow strips, then cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
Bring reserved broth to a rolling boil, drop in first batch of dumplings. Repeat with remaining dough. Add additional chicken broth, if needed. Boil until dumplings are tender, then add:
Black pepper to taste
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (12 ounce) can Pet or Carnation milk
Return to a boil and add deboned chicken.
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