Chicken & Dumplings.. what's your secret?

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Speaking of Spaetzle, I have a spaetzlemaker/potato ricer. I haven't made home made spaetzle in ages. I don't even remember the recipe. I just remember that it's a fery loose dough, almost a batter, and you squeeze it through the tool and into a flavorful broth. Anyone have the recipe?
I don't know why, but I never got one of those gadgets for making spaetzle. I use 2 spoons, scooping up a tiny bit of dough with one, and pushing it into the simmering liquid with the other. I work fast, but it's definitely a labor of love. Some things Mom taught me (maybe long before there was a gadget) just stayed with me. She learned to make Hungarian dumplings (much like spaetzle) from her Hungarian mother-in-law who spoke no English. (long story there):heart:
 
You might also try a disposable pie pan with holes poked in the bottom - a chop stick works nicely to make holes. You can toss it if you want to avoid dishes ;)
 
I wonder if drop biscuits on top of chicken and andouille gumbo would be good. Instead of serving it over rice.
 
You might also try a disposable pie pan with holes poked in the bottom - a chop stick works nicely to make holes. You can toss it if you want to avoid dishes ;)

I'd think a disposable pan would be too flimsy for the batter, but as I mentioned earlier I made one with a sturdy metal pie pan by using a drill for the holes. It works great. I love spatzle..
 
I've never made spaetzle - it's one of those things I plan to make one day - but my recipe says to spread the batter on a cutting board and cut off pieces of it directly into the pot.
 
I've never made spaetzle - it's one of those things I plan to make one day - but my recipe says to spread the batter on a cutting board and cut off pieces of it directly into the pot.

You can certainly do it that way GG. I got so blamed HOT standing over that boiling water for so long I swore I'd never do it again.
 
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You can certainly do it that way GG. I got so blamed HOT standing over that boiling water for so long I swore I'd never do it again.

Right! I should have added that I actually bought one of the gadgets, but I was really sick last winter and never got around to making it.
 
I wonder if drop biscuits on top of chicken and andouille gumbo would be good. Instead of serving it over rice.

It will work, as long as your Gumbo is not to thick. The addition of the dough will thicken it even further as always some dough gets incorporated into the stewing liquid and the dough does absorb liquid.
Also the dumplings need some room to expand.

I would use small dumplings in a dish like that. And just a few.
 
My first wife had a chicken and dumpling dish called "Popeye".

Basically the usual whole chicken braised and a special dumpling. The dumplings were like thick noodles. An inch or so wide and about 3/8ths inch thick.
I remember the dough had many eggs in it and the were very very good. But heavy.
Her family was from Michigan, so these were not southern at all.
I wish I could find this dumpling recipe again. Or find something close.


My mother made this and I can't duplicate it. She called it Pot Pie, not Popeye. I have since heard that it is actually a Pennsylvania Dutch dish called Bott Boi. I have a recipe for it somewhere but it doesn't turn out like my mother's.
 
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My mother made this and I can't duplicate it. She called it Pot Pie, not Popeye. I have since heard that it is actually a Pennsylvania Dutch dish called Bott Boi. I have a recipe for it somewhere but it doesn't turn out like my mother's.

Have you Googled it? The following is just one of many recipes on line.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe, PA Dutch Potpie or Bott Boi | from Teri's Kitchen

This contributor gives both her mother's recipe for the noodles and her Grandmother's old fashion recipe. :angel:
 
My mother made this and I can't duplicate it. She called it Pot Pie, not Popeye. I have since heard that it is actually a Pennsylvania Dutch dish called Bott Boi. I have a recipe for it somewhere but it doesn't turn out like my mother's.

Have you Googled it? The following is just one of many recipes on line.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe, PA Dutch Potpie or Bott Boi | from Teri's Kitchen

This contributor gives both her mother's recipe for the noodles and her Grandmother's old fashion recipe. :angel:

Some parts of the country call em "Slicks".

This is my secret to great Bott Boi! :ermm::ohmy::LOL:

Pennsylvania Dutch Noodles | Products | Square (Pot Pie) Egg Noodles

You ladies are terrific and quite helpful.
The dumpling/noodle in my ex wifes recipe used more eggs than the recipes you showed links to. But it could have been the batch size?
For some reason, 12 eggs stick in my mind?
The noddles/dumplings were thicker than those pictured in the last link.
They were very heavy and very rich. They made the dish.

Thanks as i now have a dumpling recipe to work with. Time to start experimenting. No. Wait. Its summer. Might have to wait for fall or a rainy day! But experiment I will.
 
Roll Bones I searched through a lot of recipes online and didn't see any that called for more than 3 eggs in the dough. I know my mothers noodles were really thick, too. I loved them. There are several things my mother made that I will never have again, unfortunately. She didn't like anyone messing around in her kitchen. I was allowed to clean up, but not to pitch in with the cooking. She thought if I learned how to cook I wouldn't need her anymore.
 
Roll Bones I searched through a lot of recipes online and didn't see any that called for more than 3 eggs in the dough. I know my mothers noodles were really thick, too. I loved them. There are several things my mother made that I will never have again, unfortunately. She didn't like anyone messing around in her kitchen. I was allowed to clean up, but not to pitch in with the cooking. She thought if I learned how to cook I wouldn't need her anymore.

My daughter-in-law has four other sisters. The mother was a terrific cook. And she never taught one of her girls how to cook. All that knowledge lost.

I taught all my kids how to cook starting with simple things like how much water to put on for boiling to cook pasta. :angel:
 
My girls had zero interest in cooking. They were content with dad doing everything.
To this very day, they have zero clue as to light a charcoal grill or to actually make anything from scratch.
They are quite busy with careers, so I'm not complaining as they could have done worse.

Now I, was very interested in cooking at a young age.
My mother and father both worked. So, to speed up dinner, I would offer assistance with the preparation.
My mother would leave the meat on the counter to thaw. When I got home from school, I would call her at work and ask what to do. She would instruct me and by the time she got home it would be close to completion.
After some time doing this, I was making the complete dinner each day after school.
This is how I learned.
 
My boys used to go to work with their father every summer. They both had jobs in the kitchen. Of course it was not their idea of a summer vacation except when they would get a day off. They would only work a half day. And it wasn't doing dishes. It was handling food items. They weren't allowed to handle knives or machinery. But they did get to see how a professional kitchen worked.

At home they all had chores in the kitchen. Setting the table, peeling veggies, learning how to make fried eggs and sausages, pancakes, and other simple dishes. The only time I was in that kitchen alone was on Sunday morning. :angel:
 
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