Ree Drummond comes from a long line of chefs who have perfected the ideal comfort food recipe. As the mother of five children, The Pioneer Woman star continues this tradition as she nurtures her own children, which include daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce, Todd and Jamar. These family favorites nurture the bodies and souls of Drummond and his family. A longtime favorite is chicken and dumplings, which the Food Network star calls "comfort food like nobody's business."
What is the origin of chicken and dumplings?
Chicken and dumplings is a hearty soup consisting of whole chicken cooked in water. Then, the resulting chicken broth cooks the dumplings and mixed vegetables.
The dish is specific to the southern and midwestern regions of the United States.
Chicken and dumplings reportedly originated during the Great Depression using the bare minimum of kitchen staples to create a hearty and filling meal. The dumpling ingredients flour, water, salt, shortening, and pepper are dropped into a simmering broth filled with shredded chicken.
Vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery provide more nutrition and bulk to the meal.
How to make Ree Drummond Chicken Aur Dumplings
This delicious and hearty soup is very easy to make.
First, salt and pepper a whole shredded chicken. Then flour the chicken pieces before putting them in a pot with the melted butter. Add chicken pieces and brown before removing from pot.
Then add chopped onion, carrot and celery, followed by thyme and tumeric spices. Add homemade chicken broth to pot and stir to combine.
Simmer for at least half an hour so that the flavors mix properly.
While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings.
Drummond uses a combination of cornmeal and flour, including baking powder and salt. She combines half and half to make a dough.
Remove the chicken from the broth and remove the meat from the bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot, and let the broth come to a boil before adding the spoonful dumplings.
Ree Drummond talks about her love for this comfort food classic
Drummond talks about his love for this comfort food classic in an essay Beyond the Recipe featured on his Pioneer Woman website.
"Chicken and dumplings. Mmm. Let's consider that for a moment," Drummond began.
I love chicken and dumplings. love it. I also love chicken and noodles, and chicken spaghetti, and any dish that starts with cooking chicken in a pot and throwing in some kind of noodle or dumpling. Comfort food max. Like, totally,” she explained.
The Food Network star then shared tips and tricks for making tender dumplings.
"Chicken and dumplings can be a little challenging to get right; if you're not careful, you can wrap round balls of flour on the roof of your mouth as a paste. But in all my trial and error, I found That dumpling recipes include cornmeal with flour totally solves that problem, she shared.