Who doesn’t like chicken noodle soup!?!? Well, since I am on a soup kick, why not continue? This is my version of chicken and dumplings. When I was little we would roll out the dough and cut each noodle by hand. Such great memories and such a great soup. I have made a few tweaks over the years and come to this point. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family does.
Here is what you need:
Brined and baked chicken
One whole chicken
1 can beer
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion
4 cloves roasted garlic (I buy Christopher’s pre-roasted garlic)
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of course pepper
Broth
Bones from chicken
1 onion
10 cups water
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dumplings
2 cups flour of choice
2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
Finishing touches to the soup
2 celery sticks
2 peeled carrots
Italian parsley for garnish
Start by prepping your chicken. I brine my chicken over-night in a bag filled with 1 can beer, tablespoon olive oil, 4 cloves roasted garlic, 1/2 onion and 1 teaspoon salt. When ready bake the chicken at 350 degrees until it reaches a temperature of 165. The time it takes to cook will vary by oven, so monitor your chicken with meat thermometer. I like to rub the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper before placing in the oven. If you have never made beer can chicken, google it, because your life is about to be changed! Purchase a beer can mount for your chicken and bake your chicken in the oven on top of a can of beer to keep it moist. I would place a drip pan under it and give it as much air as possible. The skin will cook to a golden brown if all sides are exposed to the heat. Once cooked, let it cool outside of the oven. Remove the meat from the bone once cool and set aside.
Prepare your broth. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add two peeled carrots, celery, one onion, two bay leaves and peppercorns to the pot. Add your chicken bones as well, once the meat has been removed. Let simmer until the carrot and celery are soft. Once the broth is prepared, strain off all excess. Remove everything but the liquid and return to the pot. Dice the the remaining carrots and celery and add them to the broth. Summer until soft. While your vegetables are cooking in the broth, prepare your dumplings.
In a bowl combine the eggs milk and salt. Beat with a whisk until combined. Slowly add the flour until you have a batter that is runny and snot like in consistency. I know it’s gross, but it is the best way to discribe it.
Once your vegetables are cooked, add your dumplings. Create your dumplings with a spaetzle grate or a grilling pan with small holes in it. Make sure your broth is near boiling before creating your dumplings. Place the pan or grate over the pot and spoon dumpling batter onto the pan. Use a spatula to press the dough through the holes. As the dough drips into the broth, it will create your dumplings. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from clumping. The dumplings will thicken the soup, so no roe is needed.
Cube the chicken you removed from the bone. Add it to the soup once the dumplings are cooked and the pan has been removed from heat. Since the chicken is cooked there is no reason to cook it further. Adding it last will help retain the flavor and prevent the chicken from drying out. YUM!
Garnish with fresh Italian parsley and enjoy!
