Elswets Creole Style Chicken Dumplings Food

THE BEST CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just begin to soften but don't take on any color, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until completely evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until completely melted. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until it is completely incorporated and a sandy paste forms. Pour in the milk and stir until the flour has been smoothly incorporated into the liquid.
• Add the chicken and the chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and peas and remove from the heat.
• For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until just combined, then add the milk and stir until a ball of dough forms.
• Use a small ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop 10 balls of dough into the pot (about 2 tablespoons each). Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the dumplings have puffed up and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with more parsley.

ELSWET'S CREOLE STYLE CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Chicken: Place chicken pieces into a large pot. Add water, salt and pepper and bay leaf to the chicken pieces, enough to cover the chicken.
• Partially cover your pot and cook on medium until tender. Simmer gently, do not allow the pot to boil! The chicken will take 3 or 4 hours. When tender, remove the pieces from the broth, and keep warm.
• Gravy: There should be 3-4 cups of broth in the pot. Skim off the fat and measure the broth. For each cup of skimmed broth, mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of the fat with the same amount of flour.
• Stir several spoonfuls of the hot broth into the fat-flour mixture, and then pour the mixture back into the broth in the kettle.
• Cook the gravy until it is slightly thickened. Add sage, rosemary, and thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Dumplings: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat the egg, add the milk to the egg, and mix with the dry ingredients.
• Drop by spoonfuls into the simmering chicken gravy, or roll out to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 1 inch by 2-inch pieces and drop into the gravy.
• Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes. The cover must NOT be removed, while the dumplings are cooking.
• Debone the chicken, add back to pot. Add white wine and Gumbo File (ground sassafras leaves), stir and let heat for 8 minutes.
• Serve.

THE BEST CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, 1 piece at a time, and toss to coat; shake off excess. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches on all sides; remove from pan., Add onion, carrots and celery to same pan; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until blended. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, sugar, bay leaves and peppercorns. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear., For dumplings, in a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; set aside., Remove chicken from stockpot; cool slightly. Discard bay leaves and skim fat from soup. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Using 2 forks, coarsely shred meat into 1- to 1-1/2-in. pieces; return to soup. Cook, covered, on high until mixture reaches a simmer., Drop dumplings on top of simmering soup, a few at a time. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Gently stir in cream, parsley and thyme. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

ELSWET'S HOMEMADE CHILI, SOUTHERN STYLE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. When browned, you can either drain the grease and begin again with 3 tablespoons of oil, or use the grease. Remove beef and set aside for later, or use large skillet for next step.
• Saute garlic, onion, bell pepper, and celery until opaque [not clear, but not solid white, either]. Add beef [or add TO beef if using a skillet]. Stir well. Add chili beans, tomato, and water, remainder of spices and herbs.
• Simmer over medium-low [or just high enough to keep it bubbling lightly] for two hours, stirring occasionally.
• After two hours, add beef and return to a light boil. Using a large measuring cup with handle, dip out 1 cup of the hot juice from the pot. Add in the Masa, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. When mixed into a smooth paste, SLOWLY spoon the mixture into the pot. Stir WELL to ensure no lumps.
• Return to boil and cook an additional 30 minutes.
• Let stand an hour before serving. Reheat and serve hot with grated cheese, parsley flakes, and cornbread.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, sear chicken, skin-side down, until deeply golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until it is browned on the other side, another 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate, and pour off all fat into a measuring cup. (You should have about 5 tablespoons, depending on the fattiness of the chicken.)
• Leaving all the browned bits in the pot, return 2 tablespoons of fat to the pot. Add onions, celery and half the carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat, stirring to scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pot. Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes or so. Return chicken to the pot along with thyme and 8 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is completely tender and liquid has reduced by about 1/4, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board to cool. Strain the stock (you should have about 5 cups; if you have less, you can add water to make up the difference) and wipe out the pot.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons chicken fat along with 1 tablespoon butter (if you don't have enough chicken fat, use enough butter to equal 4 tablespoons of fat) over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly until it's all a pale golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in reserved chicken stock until no lumps remain (it will thicken considerably at first) and bring to a boil. Add leeks and remaining carrots, season with salt and pepper and lower the heat to simmer.
• Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat and add to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nicely thickened and carrots and leeks are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg and add to dry ingredients, followed by melted butter. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)
• Using a spoon, drop generous quarter-size dollops of the dumpling dough into the pot (they should just sit right on top; they will not sink), spacing them apart as much as possible (it's O.K. if they touch). Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, until the dumplings are puffed and totally cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes. (Test a dumpling by cutting it in half; it should look slightly biscuity, but with no raw bits of dough. If it needs more time, continue to cook.)
• Remove lid and divide among bowls; sprinkle with parsley and chives, if using.

ELSWET'S SMOTHERED PIGGY BAKED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Slice chicken breasts in half and roll in whole wheat flour. Lightly brown in butter substitute.
• Place in a baking dish and cover with sliced ham and cheese. Set aside.
• Saute onion and garlic until clear, add olives, herbs, and wine.
• Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 8 minutes.
• Add in 1 tablespoon of remaining flour [from breading the chicken] and stir until completely disolved. Add milk. Stir until thoroughly blended.
• Ladle over chicken and bake at 375°F for approximately 20-25 minutes.