Recipe of the Week: Old-Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

We finally successfully made one of our favorite pre-Celiac recipes, Old-Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings by Martha Stewart. In the past we have always used gluten-free pasta instead of making dumplings, which just isn't the same. Ok, once we attempted to make the dumplings with Bob's GF flour mix, but the flour has such a strong taste that it didn't turn out at all. 

This time we used Jules GF flour, which worked beautifully.  This soup is so good.  There's cream and butter in it so it's not something you should eat everyday.  I give it 4 1/4 out of 5 stars.

Since Martha's directions are a little too labor intensive for us, this is the recipe that we actually follow.  Plus I like to keep the vegetables in the soup while she discards them.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 cups {gf} Chicken Stock
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise
• 2 ribs celery, preferably inner ribs with leaves attached
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose {gf} flour
• 3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine chicken stock, 4 cups water, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Place the breasts. Reduce heat to just below a simmer. Cover partially, and cook, making sure the stock mixture does not come to a simmer, until breasts are cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove breasts and vegetables, leaving stock, and set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg, oil, 3 tablespoons cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in flour until well combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. When chicken has cooled remove meat from bones and tear into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces; set aside.
4. Turn dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Roll out dough until it is about 1/16-inch thick. Cut dough into 1 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles. Bring reserved stock mixture to a boil over high heat, and season with salt. Add dough rectangles to boiling liquid, shaking pot as necessary, but not stirring. Cook until, dough is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved chicken and vegetables and reduce to a simmer. Add sliced egg, butter, and heavy cream; season with pepper. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove from heat and cover; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving in shallow bowl.