Chicken and Dumplings
It's been unseasonably cool here in Michigan, and a slow-cooked comfort meal fit perfectly.
It's been unseasonably cool here in Michigan, and a slow-cooked comfort meal fit perfectly.
- Carbohydrate 14.85998875 g
- Cholesterol 176.42 mg
- Fat 38.56286875 g
- Fiber 2.70076257663965 g
- Protein 45.50231125 g
- Saturated Fat 10.85998625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (535g)
- Sodium 960.488375 mg
- Sugar 12.1592261733603 g
- Trans Fat 3.77270875 g
- Calories 640 calories
Step-by-step
- Add veggies to slow cooker. Top with chicken pieces.
- In a large bowl whisk together broth, wine and soup. Mix in seasonings.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Pour mixture over chicken pieces.
- Cook on high 3-4 hours, or on low 6-8 hours. Remove chicken pieces to a platter. Cool til pieces can be handled; remove bones, gristle and any skin.
- Return chicken, cover and bring back to a simmer. Simmer about 30 minutes or til dumplings are cooked.
Most home cooks fail with poultry stews by adding flour-based thickeners too early, which scorches at the slow cooker floor before the connective tissues can properly gelatinize. Building this dish requires understanding how alcohol acts as a solvent for fat-soluble flavor compounds, stripping volatile molecules from the onion and celery cells while the wine reduces during the initial thermal phase. When white wine meets chicken stock and cream soup, the organic acids begin breaking down tough collagen fibers in the skinless whole bird, transforming dense muscle tissue into tender strands over three to four hours on high heat.
The Chemistry of Aromatic Extraction
Softening root vegetables simultaneously releases natural sugars into the braising liquid, balancing the acidity of the wine without requiring additional sweeteners. Carrots and onions contain pectin that dissolves gradually at temperatures above 180 degrees Fahrenheit, thickening the broth naturally alongside the starches released by the dumplings. Seasoning the liquid thoroughly before it hits the meat ensures the salt penetrates the cellular walls of the chicken via osmosis, rather than merely sitting on the exterior surface.Managing the Dumpling Stage
Success or failure hinges entirely on maintaining a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil when introducing the dough, because excessive turbulence ruptures fragile starch granules and creates a gummy paste instead of light pillows. Pull the chicken out when internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to strip the meat cleanly from the bones without burning fingers on scalding broth. Covering the slow cooker tightly traps steam, allowing the ambient heat to cook the upper surface of the dumplings evenly while the submerged bottoms absorb savory liquids.
