Chicken Fricassee with Herb Dumplings
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!
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. pepper
- 2 tsp. paprika
- avocado oil for frying
- 1 cup water I used 2 cups
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- milk as needed
- Herb Dumplings
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp. rosemary
- 1 tsp. 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 milk
- 3 tbsp. snipped chives or 1 tbsp. dried chives
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. rosemary
- 1 tbsp. parsley
Instructions
CHICKEN:
- Wash chicken pieces and pat dry.
- Mix 1 cup flour, salt, pepper and paprika.
- Coat chicken with flour mixture.
- Heat thin layer of avocado oil in large skillet; brown chicken on all sides.
- 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.
- 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 baking mix, 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.
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