Chicken & Pastry Dumplings

Based on this recipe from Cooks Country of America's Test Kitchen (subscription may be required).

Add additional broth as needed in the cooking process. Add only enough of the reserved chicken meat to make the dish have a good balance between meat, dumplings/pastry, and vegetables. You will not need all of the meat you get from your rotisserie chicken.

Cut the onion in half through the root end. This keeps most of the “petals” from separating during the cooking process and makes the onion easier to remove.

Avoid using high protein/King Arthur flour for the pastry/dumplings. Also, if the broth isn't boiling vigorously, or if there isn’t quite enough broth to be immersed when adding the pastry, the dumplings will be gummy :(  

Makes four delicious servings.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups (7-1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp very fine black pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbl unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

8 oz of rotisserie chicken, saving the skin and the juices at the bottom of the container
4 cups chicken broth, with about 1 additional cup in reserve
1 cup water, with about 1/2 cup in reserve
1 onion, peeled and halved through root end (see Notes)
1 celery rib, minced

2 small carrots, sliced (less if frozen carrots will be added)

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

Two bay leaves

About 1 to 1-1/2 cups frozen veggies like peas, corn, and/or green beans

PREPARATION

Pastry/Dumpling Prep

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in large bowl. 
2. Warm the milk slightly in a measuring cup and add the melted butter (butter may form clumps). 
3. Using rubber spatula, stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just incorporated. 
4. Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and knead until no flour streaks remain, about 1 minute.
5. Return dough to large bowl, cover dough ball with plastic wrap, and set aside. 

Broth Prep

1. Shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken and set it aside, reserving the skin and accumulated juices. (You can also shred the chicken while the broth simmers.)
2. Melt 1 T butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
3. Add chicken skin and cook until well browned and fragrant, 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove skin and deglaze the pan: add about 1/4 cup of the broth and accumulated chicken juices, scraping up any browned bits before adding water and remaining broth, still reserving additional liquid for later.
5. Add onion and celery into pot and bring to boil. One boiling, add carrots.
6. Reduce heat to low, add thyme and bay leaves; then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
7. Discard onion, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs; turn heat to medium-high and cover to bring it back up to a boil.

Prep the pastry

1. While the broth is heating back up to a boil, roll dough into a rounded 12-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. It’s ok if corners are rounded
2. Using pizza cutter or knife, cut dough lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips, then cut diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips to form diamonds (pieces around edges will not be diamonds; this is OK). Use a large offset spatula or similar utensil to collect cut pastry and put loosely into a bowl.
3. Be sure broth is boiling vigorously before adding pastry, and if too much broth has simmered away, add the reserve and return to vigorous boiling before adding pastry. Immerse pastry as quickly as possible and give a quick stir.

Finish it off

1. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pastry is tender and puffed, about 15 minutes. 
2. If the broth is too salty, add more water, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper, bringing it back to a simmer for 10-15 mins.
3. Stir in desired amounts of reserved chicken and frozen veggies into stew and cook, uncovered, until warmed through and stew has thickened slightly, 2 to 4 minutes. 
4. If needed, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.