Southern dumplings are the fluffy clouds of comfort food
They’re the bonus prize in a bowl of delicious stew
A simmering pot of fragrant stew earns top honours when it comes to comfort food, but the comfort doubles when it is topped with fluffy dumplings. They are the bonus prize in each bowlful — the unexpected delight that makes the meal special enough to feel restorative. Such a dish sure hits the spot on a winter evening, just right for a cosy family supper, although it can be the sleeper hit of a casual dinner gathering as well.
Dumplings come in a host of shapes and sizes around the world, but most are a type of simple bread or pastry that enhance or extend more expensive ingredients. The ones in the accompanying recipes are pillows of light yet substantial dough added to the pot shortly before the stew is served. They take their cues from drop biscuits rather than pastry, so there’s no rolling, shaping or futzing. Just stir up the dough, spoon it into the pot, cover and come back in about a half-hour.
Each of the dumplings in the accompanying recipes is essentially made the same way, but the variations in seasonings pair them perfectly with their stews. The good news is that if you can make one, you can make them all. Be sure to taste the stews and dumplings together as you make final seasoning adjustments, because they work together as a team in the bowl.
Chicken with dumplings is the benchmark for Southern dumplings. Although the dumplings are the stars, the stew has to keep up its end of the bargain. Using a rotisserie chicken for the meat and the broth not only saves time, it adds flavour from the roasted skin and bones. The ready-to-use meat also eliminates the temptation to overcook the chicken. Old recipes often called for boiling the chicken for upward of an hour, which might have been a good advice for tough old yard birds, but can turn the meat into ropy strands. Rotisserie chickens are seasoned, so wait until the broth has reduced before adjusting the salt. The dumpling dough isn’t heavily seasoned, so don’t be alarmed if the stew seems a tad salty when tasted on its own — it will be balanced when the two come together in the bowl.
There is both dried and fresh basil in my tomato stew with dumplings, for good reason. Dried basil holds its own while the stew simmers. Delicate fresh basil, on the other hand, cannot hold up to extended cooking, so it’s just right for adding shortly before serving. By using both dried and fresh, the dish benefits from the best attributes of both.
Adding potatoes to beef stew is always a good idea, but no one says those potatoes have to be russets.
All these dumplings, which are about the size of a golf ball, float atop the stew as they cook, resulting in puffed tops, fluffy middles and tender bottoms — more like bread than noodles. When the pot lid is lifted, the aromas and experience are heady.
Sheri’s Shortcut Chicken Stew With Fluffy Dumplings
6 to 8 servings Here, fluffy and biscuit-like dumplings float like clouds atop a simple stew of large pieces of tender chicken studded with bright orange carrots and flecks of herbs. Rich broth with plenty of body that actually tastes like chicken is the bedrock of this stew and other recipes. A note about the rotisserie chickens: We have called for small birds, and all their meat can be used. But if you buy larger rotisserie birds, like the ones at Costco,
only use the white meat and reserve the dark meat for another use. Why? Because using all the meat from a large bird will thicken the stew to the point where the dumplings won’t be able to float. From cookbook author Sheri Castle. Ingredients For the broth and stew 2 small, plain rotisserie chickens (see headnote) 4 cups cold water 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (store-bought or homemade) 3 large thyme sprigs 3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 small onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup) 2 medium ribs celery, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup) 2 medium carrots, scrubbed well and cut into thin rounds (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed For the dumplings 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled 2 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening (may substitute leaf lard) 3/4 cup half-and-half Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish Steps For the broth and stew: Pull the meat from the chickens and tear it into largish bite-size pieces; cover and refrigerate until needed. Place the carcasses and skin in a large saucepan or small pot. Add the cold water, broth, thyme sprigs and 1 teaspoon of the salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for about an hour, until the carcasses fall apart and the liquid reduces to about 8 cups and tastes like rich chicken soup. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large saucepan; discard solids. Stir in the vinegar and keep the broth warm on the lowest heat setting. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, thyme leaves and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat. Cook for 8 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring often. Add the broth and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper. Stir in the reserved rotisserie chicken; reduce the heat to low. For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and pepper in a medium bowl. Work in the butter and shortening with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Add the half-and-half and stir only until combined to form a soft, sticky dough. Bring the chicken stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a 1-ounce scoop or two soup spoons to drop golf-ball-size dumplings evenly over the surface of the stew. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dumplings are firm, fluffy and somewhat dry on top. Uncover and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm. Ingredients are too variable for a meaningful analysis.
Tomato Stew With Basil Dumplings
6 to 8 servings The next time you’re contemplating pasta but can’t get excited about it, give this old-timey recipe a go. It’s substantial enough to serve as a meatless entree but also makes an unexpected side to serve with steaks or a Sunday roast. The stew is a wonderful use of canned tomatoes, a stalwart pantry staple. The key to tasty tomatoes is to use them in their best form at the time, and this time of year, that’s going to be canned. Adapted from “The Southern Living Community Cookbook: Celebrating Food and Fellowship in the American South,” by the editors of Southern Living and Sheri Castle (Southern Living, 2014). Ingredients For the stew 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed Three 14-ounce cans chunky tomato purée 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup sherry vinegar For the dumplings 1 cup flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small bits and chilled 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves, plus torn or ribboned basil, for garnish 1 large egg 1/2 cup whole milk Steps For the stew: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir the onion, bell pepper, salt, dried basil and black pepper; cook, 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato purée, brown sugar and vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium; let the stew cook while you make the dumplings. For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil. Whisk together the egg and milk in a liquid measuring cup. Pour over the flour mixture and stir just long enough to form a soft, sticky dough. Bring the stew to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a 1-ounce spring-release scoop or two soup spoons to drop golf-ball-size dumplings evenly over the surface of the stew. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the dumplings are firm, fluffy and somewhat dry on top. Uncover and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the torn or ribboned basil and serve warm.