Chicken Fricassee with Herb Dumplings

Teresa Ambra

Chicken Fricassee with Herb Dumplings is outstanding! This delicious fricasseed chicken main dish recipe includes homemade gravy and dumplings. It's a vintage southern comfort food entree at its best! It's perfect for family dinners and when you want a stick-to-the-ribs meal everyone loves. This hearty main dish is so satisfying and mouthwatering that everyone will want it on your regular menu rotation!

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1

Total Time 41

Course Chicken Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 539 kcal

Equipment

2 large skillets with lids
1 plate
2 or 3 wooden spoons
1 platter
1 whisk
1 medium mixing bowl
measuring cups
measuring spoons
1 spatula
1 pastry blender

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

2-3 lb. whole chicken, cut up or boneless chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs
1 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup avocado oil for frying
1 cup water I used 2 cups
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2% milk as needed
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. lemon juice

HERB DUMPLINGS:

1 1/2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. sea salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter cold
3/4 cup 2% milk
3 tbsp. snipped chives or 1 tbsp. dried chives
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tbsp. dried parsley

Instructions

CHICKEN:

Wash chicken pieces and pat dry.
Mix 1 cup flour, salt, pepper and paprika on a plate.
Coat chicken with flour mixture.
Heat thin layer of avocado oil in large skillets; brown chicken on all sides.
Split chicken between the two skillets.
Remove chicken to a platter.
Drain off fat; reserve.
To skillet, add water, chopped onion, rosemary and thyme and lemon juice.
Add chicken back into skillets.
Cover tightly; cook chicken slowly about 45 to 60 minutes or until fork-tender, adding water if necessary.
Remove chicken to warm platter; keep warm.
Pour off liquid in skillet; reserve.
To make gravy, heat 3 tbsp. reserved fat in skillet. (See note below).
Blend in 3 tbsp. flour with a whisk.
Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
Remove from heat.
Add enough milk to reserved liquid to measure 3 ½ cups; pour evenly between the skillets.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
Return chicken to gravy.
Prepare dough for Dumplings; drop by spoonfuls onto hot chicken.
Cook uncovered 10 minutes; cover and cook 20 minutes longer.

HERB DUMPLINGS:

Measure flour, baking powder and salt into bowl.
Add chives, thyme, rosemary and parsley.
Cut in butter thoroughly with a pastry blender until mixture looks like meal.
Stir in milk.
Drop by large tablespoonfuls into hot gravy and chicken mixture.
Cook as directed above.

Notes

NOTE: To fricassee a broiler-fryer chicken, select 3-4 lb. broiler-fryer and cook slowly 45-60 minutes or until fork-tender. To fricassee a stewing hen, cook 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours or until fork tender.

NOTE: I used a pack of 6 boneless chicken breasts and 8 boneless chicken thighs. I divided the meat between three different skillets so it would cook more quickly. I divided all the gravy ingredients between the three skillets instead of just two skillets.

NOTE: Instead of using only 3 tablespoons each of the reserved fat and flour, I used all the leftover oil which was about ½ cup, and the leftover flour mixture from dredging the chicken which was also about ½ cup.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook, circa 1972.

Nutrition

Calories: 539kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 28gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 885mgPotassium: 536mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 4982IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 197mgIron: 5mg

Keyword chicken, chicken fricassee, herb dumplings, main dish

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