Chef John's Chicken and Dumplings

The wonderful thing about this dumpling recipe, besides its ease, is how truly versatile it is. I'm not even referring to the actual dumpling batter, which of course can be tweaked with various herb and/or dairy substitutions. Instead, I'm talking about the delivery system beneath these puffy pillows of pleasure.

These dumplings can be steamed over virtually any flavorful soup or stew-like substance. The rule of thumb: If you can simmer it, you can cook a dumpling on it. But the thinner the liquid, the easier and better the dumplings will steam.

If you prefer a thicker stew, simply fortify your mixture with a standard roux before you add the picked chicken back in. We've made like a hundred rouxs, so I'll assume you can cook 1/4 cup of butter together with a 1/4 cup of flour for a couple minutes without major incident.

If this is your first batch of dumplings ever, then I'd recommend going with the soupy base you see here. Once you get the dumplings down, you can start to experiment with thicker and more interesting stews.

So, whether you go thick or thin, cr?me fraiche or buttermilk, thyme or rosemary, or any other approved variation, I hope you give this classic American comfort food a try. Enjoy!

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