I knew by Tuesday of the Hainanese Chicken week that I wasn't going to be able to stomach eating that same thing all week. I had to turn the HC into something else. I have my handy chicken noodle soup recipe but I wasn't really feeling it. Again, that word - feeling. I started looking for a quick chicken and dumplings recipe as I wanted a heartier meal. I remember it was chilly and just wanted something hot and filling without any major fuss.
So I took that chicken out, picked out a few breast pieces and some thigh parts and started pulling the meat from the bones. Can't throw those bones away --- those would have flavor! Chopped up some onions, celery, and carrots, took out boxed chicken broth (can't use that Hainanese chicken broth -- it's got ginger in it, might screw up the taste!), some milk (non-fat, sad I know, but that's what's in the fridge). Of course I had to make the dumplings - which was the hardest part. LOL. The recipes I saw called for self rising flour and I didn't have that so I had to find something that uses all-purpose flour. Good thing I did!
The dumplings didn't turn out perfect but at least it was puffy and cooked all the way (nothing worse than uncooked dough lol).
It was certainly, hot and yummy and perfect for chilly weather!
Ingredients:
3-4 breast pieces, thigh parts from the Hainanese Chicken, roughly diced
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
2-3 cups chicken stock or broth
1-2 tbs flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1-2 tbs milk
1/4 cup frozen peas (because I love peas, I think I used 1/3 cup lol)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley
For the dumplings:
1 cup cake flour (or 1 cup minus 2 tbs all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
1 tbs melted butter
a little over 1/3 cup of milk, use up to 1/2 if the dough is really dry
2 tbs of dried herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley, marjoram, etc)
1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add in the bones from the chicken.
2. In a pot, heat olive oil and brown the chicken pieces. Set aside.
3. Add a bit more of the olive oil and saute the onion, carrots , and celery. Add in the thyme.
3. Add the flour 1 tbs at a time, making sure it is coated with the oil. Stir so that flour will not get clumped up. Add a bit more oil if you feel like the flour is drying up. Sort of like making a roue. Turn the heat to medium low and cook for about 2-3 minutes without burning the flour.
4. Ladle the simmering stock into the pot. Stir after each ladling and make sure to the get all the stuff sticking to the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the rest of the stock and the browned chicken pieces. If you're like me, I will just dump broth and bones in there, but you can pick the bones out if you want!
5. Increase the heat a bit and let it simmer.
6. While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings.
7. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. This makes the flour mixture lighter.
8. Mix in the herbs.
9. Add in the melted butter and the milk. Mix until it comes together. Do not overmix!
10. Drop the batter into the soup 1 heaping teaspoon at a time. Make sure you drop it over the surface. Don't dunk it. Drop them as quickly as you can.
11. Cover the pot and make sure your heat is just enough to simmer the soup. The dumplings will be cook and be light and fluffy if you simmer. Do not boil and do not open the pot while the dumplings are cooking. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
12. Test the dumplings after 15 minutes (stick a toothpick in there like testing a cake!). If still not done, simmer for 5-10 more minutes.
13. Once that's done, add in the peas, milk, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you're more adventurous, use cream instead of milk!
14. Ladle into bowls and enjoy! The soup gets thicker the longer it stands so if you have some more broth handy, you can just thin it out with that the next time you heat the soup.
So I took that chicken out, picked out a few breast pieces and some thigh parts and started pulling the meat from the bones. Can't throw those bones away --- those would have flavor! Chopped up some onions, celery, and carrots, took out boxed chicken broth (can't use that Hainanese chicken broth -- it's got ginger in it, might screw up the taste!), some milk (non-fat, sad I know, but that's what's in the fridge). Of course I had to make the dumplings - which was the hardest part. LOL. The recipes I saw called for self rising flour and I didn't have that so I had to find something that uses all-purpose flour. Good thing I did!
The dumplings didn't turn out perfect but at least it was puffy and cooked all the way (nothing worse than uncooked dough lol).
It was certainly, hot and yummy and perfect for chilly weather!
3-4 breast pieces, thigh parts from the Hainanese Chicken, roughly diced
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
2-3 cups chicken stock or broth
1-2 tbs flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1-2 tbs milk
1/4 cup frozen peas (because I love peas, I think I used 1/3 cup lol)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley
For the dumplings:
1 cup cake flour (or 1 cup minus 2 tbs all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
1 tbs melted butter
a little over 1/3 cup of milk, use up to 1/2 if the dough is really dry
2 tbs of dried herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley, marjoram, etc)
1. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add in the bones from the chicken.
2. In a pot, heat olive oil and brown the chicken pieces. Set aside.
3. Add a bit more of the olive oil and saute the onion, carrots , and celery. Add in the thyme.
3. Add the flour 1 tbs at a time, making sure it is coated with the oil. Stir so that flour will not get clumped up. Add a bit more oil if you feel like the flour is drying up. Sort of like making a roue. Turn the heat to medium low and cook for about 2-3 minutes without burning the flour.
4. Ladle the simmering stock into the pot. Stir after each ladling and make sure to the get all the stuff sticking to the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the rest of the stock and the browned chicken pieces. If you're like me, I will just dump broth and bones in there, but you can pick the bones out if you want!
5. Increase the heat a bit and let it simmer.
6. While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings.
7. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. This makes the flour mixture lighter.
8. Mix in the herbs.
9. Add in the melted butter and the milk. Mix until it comes together. Do not overmix!
10. Drop the batter into the soup 1 heaping teaspoon at a time. Make sure you drop it over the surface. Don't dunk it. Drop them as quickly as you can.
11. Cover the pot and make sure your heat is just enough to simmer the soup. The dumplings will be cook and be light and fluffy if you simmer. Do not boil and do not open the pot while the dumplings are cooking. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
12. Test the dumplings after 15 minutes (stick a toothpick in there like testing a cake!). If still not done, simmer for 5-10 more minutes.
13. Once that's done, add in the peas, milk, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you're more adventurous, use cream instead of milk!
14. Ladle into bowls and enjoy! The soup gets thicker the longer it stands so if you have some more broth handy, you can just thin it out with that the next time you heat the soup.
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