Making Chicken and Dumplings but have some questions....

[poultryhaven]

Well my mom and dad are coming home today (They were out of town). I processed some Red Broilers the other day with a friend and I really wanna make chicken and dumplings tonight. I have read some recipes but should I use my pressure cooker or just boil the chicken in water? The chicken was like 9 weeks old when processed. I have never used the pressure cooker before and I didnt even know we had one lol. I dont know where the instrunctions are so I really need some help

I'm just gonna stick the whole carcass in either one of the pots. Should I wait til it is thawed out?
Thank you in advance,
Will

 

[poultryhaven]

Anyone? please

 

[herfrds]

Definately thaw the chicken out first. It will cook quicker.

Now for my favorite recipe I put the chicken in the oven and roast it.
If you want to make a homemade chicken stock then most definately boil the chicken with a mix of vegtables.

i have not used a pressure cooker except in canning.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

Boil it and you do not need to defrost it first for the dish you are making.
This recipe freezes well but for a small family I would cut the dumpling recipe in half

This is a really good recipe off of recipezaar

Big Thicket Chicken and Dumplings


By: Susie in Texas
Jan 24, 2003

If you love good, old-fashioned, down home chicken and dumplings, this is the real thing! Note that this dumpling recipe makes "a bunch of dumplin's" because around here, most folks want more dumplin's than chicken. (prep time includes cooling time for cooked chicken.)

SERVES 8
1 (3-4 lb) whole chickens
* 1 gallon water
* 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
* 2 celery ribs, chopped
* 4 green onions, sliced thin or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
* 1 carrot, shredded
* 6 chicken bouillon cubes

DUMPLING INGREDIENTS

* 6 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup margarine or butter flavor shortening
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 cups chicken stock

Directions

1.Place whole chicken and water into large pot or dutch oven.
2.Add poultry seasoning, garlic powder& pepper.
3.Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium.
4.Cook chicken for about 1 hour or until tender.
5.When done, carefully remove chicken from pot; set aside to cool.
6.Remove 2 cups of stock and set aside to cool.
7.Add celery, onion, carrot and bouillon cubes to remaining stock and continue to cook on simmer.
8.While chicken is cooling, prepare dumplings.
9.Into large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, poultry seasoning and salt.
10.Add margarine and combine until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
11.(use a hand mixer) Add eggs and cooled chicken stock (be sure your stock has cooled to"just barely warm") then stir by hand to form a dough.
12.Turn out onto floured surface and knead slightly until smooth.
13.You may need to divide dough in half and only roll out half at a time.
14.Roll out to approximately 1/8-inch thickness.
15.Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough in vertical strips about an inch wide.
16.Then repeat the process, cutting horizontal strips, which will give you little square dumplings.
17.Return chicken stock to a boil; drop dumplings in, a few at a time, as quickly as possible.
18.Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking to bottom of pan.
19.When done, remove from heat and cover pan.
20.Remove skin and debone cooled chicken.
21.Cut into bite size pieces then fold into hot dumplings & broth.

 

[BettyR]

I would just boil the chicken until it's tender. I use a pressure cooker a lot and I do use it when I'm making chicken stock but for chicken and dumplings I prefer the flavor of a long...slow boiled chicken.

I often stick a whole frozen bird into a large stock pot and boil it of an hour...then remove it from the pot and using some kitchen shears I cut the bird up the backbone and down the breast bone and then put the two halves back in the pot and continue to cook it until it's tender. The middle of the bird will still be bloody.

I know you didn't ask for a recipe but I'm going to share this one with you anyway. It's sooo good. Of course the cooking times for this recipe is with a grocery store chicken so you can't really go by them.

Southern Living CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Makes 8 servings
Top-Rated Recipe, November 2001 Southern Living On-Line

1 (2 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut up
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
3 cups self-rising flour (I just use all-purpose flour and add 3 tsp. baking powder)
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/3 cup shortening
2 teaspoons bacon drippings...(I leave this out...to me it over powers the flavor of the chicken)
1 cup milk

COVER chicken with water, and bring to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and next 3 ingredients; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven; cool chicken. Skim fat from broth; bring to a simmer.
SKIN, bone, and coarsely chop chicken. Add chicken, bouillon, and remaining salt and pepper to broth. Return to simmer.
COMBINE flour and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Cut in shortening and bacon drippings with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add milk, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened.
TURN dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 20 strokes. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1-inch pieces.
BRING broth mixture to a boil. Drop dumplings, a few at a time, (I just make sure the dumplings are well coated with flour...stack them all on a plate and dump them all in at one time and stir) into boiling broth, stirring gently. Reduce heat to a very gentle simmer, cover and simmer, for 25 minutes. Stir about once every 10 minutes. Prep: 30 min.; Cook: 1 hr., 30 min.

 

[poultryhaven]

Quote:
This one sounds better to me because I dont like Vegetables lol. Do I HAVE to have the Shortening? Can I substitute something for it?

 

[BettyR]

If you have lard that would work best but butter or 70% or 80% fat margarine would do in a pinch but you would need to use more of it because it's got so much water in it. Instead of 1/3 cup I would use the whole stick (1/2 cup).

 

[poultryhaven]

Well Im using another dumpling recipe =] I just found it and its simple

Thank you and omgosh! This chicken smells SO good!

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
Let us know how it turns out and share you recipe please. I am always on the look out for an easier way to do things.

 

[poultryhaven]

Im using this for the Dumplings http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/index.html
and yours for everything else