Published March 12, 2023
Dolly's Chicken and Dumplings Southern Cooking Recipe
There are so many things to talk about living in the Smoky Mountains. The communities, The National Park, Dollywood, the attractions and amusements, and the history and culture are all interesting and fun to share.
It's true that Dolly Parton is indeed the hometown queen of the area. Dolly has inspired growth, education, better health and so much more with her involvement in Sevier County. When we think about how we might share what Living in the Smoky Mountains might be like, what is a better way than through food. If you have ever read about Dolly, or followed her on her various adventures, you know she is still all country and, we might add completely Sevier County. We love her and will respect her energy, talent and gifts as a Tennessee Treasure forever.
Southern Living can be most apparent in the foods that the South is known for. We though it might be fun to share Dolly's Chicken and Dumplings recipe as shared on parade.com. We credit parade.com for the photo and recipe and thank Dolly for being Dolly and telling us how she makes this Southern Delight!
You will want these ingredients available:
1 3 pound chicken
2.5 teaspoons of salt
3/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 onion peeled, left whole
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
2 cups all purpose flour ( plus some for kneading)
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp. of Vegetable Shortening
3/4 cup of milk.
Preparation
- Combine the chicken and 2 teaspoons of the salt with 2 quarts of water in a Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pepper, onion, and celery leaves. Simmer the chicken until the meat falls away from the bone.
- Remove the chicken and onion from the pot, and strain out the celery leaves. Discard the onion and celery leaves, and set the chicken aside to cool.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Discard the skin and bones. Meanwhile, raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the with a fork and shortening knife or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually stir in the milk until the dough is moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead for about 5 minutes.
- Roll out to ½-inch thickness and cut into 1½-inch squares. Drop the pieces of dough into the boiling broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir gently.
- Add the chicken back to the pot, stir, and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 8 minutes. Serve warm.
This Southern Delight of a dish is sure to make your kitchen and home feel full of Southern Charm, wherever you live! We can imagine Dolly actually making this in her kitchen and it looks simple enough that we can also.
Stay tuned with us at our blog to learn the fun and adventure of Living in the Smoky Mountains.
If you are considering a move or a relocation to the Smokies, we'd love to speak with you! Are you an investor? We are local experts in this area and welcome the opportunity to put our knowledge to work for you.
