Chicken Slicks

This is a classic Southern recipe that has many names, including "chicken and dumplings" and "chicken and pastry". This particular version comes to me from my grandmother in North Carolina. It's typical poor farmer fare, designed to take one chicken and stretch it to feed an entire family. In terms of flavor, it's a kissing cousin to both chicken noodle soup and chicken pot pie. It's the go-to comfort food in my family.

These days, I have trouble finding the smaller 3-4 pound birds that this recipe calls for. About the smallest my grocery stocks are 5 pounds. But as long as it fits in your stock pot, a 5.25 lb. chicken will work just fine.

Chicken Slicks

serves 6-8

Chicken and Broth:

If there’s room in the refrigerator, this part is preferably done a day ahead to get the fat out of the broth and the meat off of the bones.

In a large stock pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and braise covered for about 1 hour:

One whole 3-4 lb. chicken

* Remove the giblets from the chicken's cavity and toss them in as well.  Include the heart, gizzard, and neck if you have them, but discard the liver - it will add off flavors to the broth.
3 cans Campbell’s condensed chicken broth

enough additional water to cover the chicken over the thighs

After 1 hour, remove cooked chicken from the broth. When it's cool enough to handle, take the meat off of the bones.  Tear the breast meat into medium sized pieces. Reserve meat in the refrigerator, covered.

Reserve broth separately from the meat if you're not cooking the dumplings right away.  Skim off the solidified fat before using.

Dumplings: 
Mix in a food processor:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. Crisco solid vegetable shortening

Add and process just to combine:

3/4 to 1 c. cold water as needed, just enough to bring the dough together

Bring the chicken broth back to a boil in the stock pot.

Roll out pastry about 1/8” thick on a floured countertop.  Cut into strips about 1x2” (a pizza wheel is excellent for this).  Drop strips into broth and simmer covered over medium low heat, about 1 hour until pastry is cooked all the way through.  Leave the lid slightly ajar to avoid boil over.  Stir once or twice to redistribute the dumplings floating on top.  Add another cup of water if needed.

When dumplings are done, return the reserved chicken to the pot and serve.

Recommended products:

Unusually for me, this recipe calls for Campbell's condensed chicken broth in a can, not Swanson low sodium chicken broth.  Can you make it with Swanson's?  Yes, but it's not quite as good.

When I was making this as a kid, Crisco only came in unwieldy tubs.  But these days, it comes in user friendly pre-measured sticks, much like butter.  Look for these 3-packs, which come with a resealable plastic tub to store opened packages in.  One half stick equals one half cup: