Grandma’s Chicken, Herb Dumplings, & Pumpkin Noodles

As she ladled the chicken and dumplings into the serving bowl, she reflected that simple ingredients like carrots and onions, dumplings, and chicken speak of family and memory, and in the process become something more than the sum of their parts.

Recipe: Grandma’s Chicken, Herb Dumplings, & Pumpkin Noodles

Summary: Courtesy of Christy Fox. Chopping the vegetables, including heirloom purple carrots from her favorite farmer in Ketchum, Idaho, Christy Fox says “This is one of those recipes that people forget. It’s Grandma’s with a twist. “

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, weighing 4-6 pounds
  • 3 small Walla Walla onions, diced
  • 5 stalks celery, diced
  • 10 medium carrots, cut on a bias
  • sea salt
  • white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sage, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped

Instructions

  1. Prepare Pumpkin Noodles recipe (below) and have uncooked noodles ready.
  2. Place the whole chicken in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat begins to fall off the bone, 30-45 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken with a pair of tongs and set aside to cool, reserving the cooking liquid.
  4. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and throw it away.
  5. Using your fingers, shred the chicken meat, and set it aside.
  6. Discard the chicken carcass.
  7. In the same pot, add all of the remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper.
  8. Add the chicken back to the pot and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. When the vegetables are done, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Prepare Herb Dumplings Recipe (below). Drop dumplings into pot.
  10. After all of the dumplings are in the pot, using a spoon or ladle, gently push liquid over the dumplings, and let simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
  11. Add pumpkin noodles to the simmering chicken and dumplings by putting the pasta into the pot, stirring frequently, and cooking for 3-4 minutes.
  12. Ladle into bowls and serve with fresh parsley or chive garnish.

Recipe: Herb Dumplings

Summary: Dumplings are one of the simple things that many cooks have forgotten how to make. Christy Fox puts the flour, milk, melted butter, and herbs into a bowl and mixed them by hand, then shaped them into ping-pong-sized balls. These go into the broth with the rest of the ingredients to simmer until they had just a slight amount of give when touched.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 / 2 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 / 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 / 2 Cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sage, chopped

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Add the melted butter, and gently mix by hand until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, or the dumplings will be tough.
  3. When the dough is ready, roll into 2-inch balls and drop into the simmering soup.
  4. After all of the dumplings are in the pot, using a spoon or ladle, gently push liquid over the dumplings, and let simmer for approximately 5 minutes.

Recipe: Homemade Pumpkin Noodles

Summary: A special additon to Chicken and Dumplings or by themselves with butter.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix all ingredients together until incorporated.
  2. Turn out the dough onto a floured cutting board and knead it, adding more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. The dough should be slightly tacky but not wet.
  3. Let stand for 20 minutes.
  4. Using a pasta machine, roll out the dough to the lowest setting.
  5. Cut the pasta by hand, lightly dusting with flour as you pick up the strands of pasta to prevent sticking.
  6. Boil pasta in salted water for 3-4 minutes, stirring to prevent the pasta from clumping together.
  7. Strain, rinse with cold water, and set aside until ready to serve.
  8. NOTE FOR CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE: You can also cook the noodles in the simmering chicken and dumplings by putting the pasta into the pot, stirring frequently, and cooking for 3-4 minutes.

From a feature story by Kathleen Bauer in the September October 2009 issue of Northwest Palate.

Photos: Henry Ngan, Studio 3

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