Forty-Five Minute Chicken and Dumplings Made w/ Chicken Drumsticks and Homemade Stock

 

We prepared a delicious and nutritious chicken stock using affordable organic drumsticks and a pressure cooker filled with various aromatics. This simple process resulted in a flavorful stock that is rich in healthy collagen from the chicken drumsticks. While you could make the stock on the stovetop, it would take several hours to achieve the desired flavors from the vegetables, herbs, meat, and bones. However, in the pressure cooker, it took only 35 minutes with a quick release of the pressure. After that, we strained the stock through cheesecloth, and all the aromatics had done their job of flavoring the liquid. We then discarded them and set the drumsticks aside in a separate bowl to cool before taking the meat from the bones. We also made herbed dumplings with herbs, heavy cream, vinegar, and olive oil to add more flavor to the meal. The dish turned out to be full of flavor, nutritious, and affordable.

Jump To Recipe

Ingredients for the Stock

• 6-8 Quarts of water
• 6 Chicken drumsticks
• 2 Carrots quartered
• 1 Yellow or white onion quartered
• 2-4 Stalks celery quartered
• 2-3 Garlic cloves whole quartered
• 3 Dried chili peppers (optional)
• Bunch of thyme
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon whole peppercorns
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for the dumplings

• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon dried basil
• 1 Teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 Teasoppn onion powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preparation - 10 minutes Cook Time - 45 minutes Serving 6-8

1. Place the chicken drumsticks on the bottom of the pressure cooker. You could easily substitute chicken thighs for the drumsticks or use a combination of both.
2. Add all your aromatics (onions, carrots, celery), herbs, bay leaves, peppercorns, and dried chili peppers,
3. Top the ingredients with water to the maximum fill line, secure the lid, and set the cooker for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, release the pressure.
4. The liquid and the aromatics should now be strained with cheesecloth through a sieve directly into a stock pot or Dutch oven. Discard the aromatics, and you will have a very flavorful stock. Bring up the stock to a simmer over medium/low heat.
5. In a separate bowl, place the cooked chicken drumsticks. Allow them to cool to the point of handling. Separate the meat from the bones and place the meat directly into your stock on the stove.
6. Measure out the flour, leveling agents, dried herbs, and spices. Stir together to make sure everything is distributed evenly. Add the liquids and mix.
7. Form the dumpling by hand, approximately the size of a golf ball. Do not overwork the dough. It will become tough. Delicately pat the dough just enough to form them.
8. Add the dumplings to the simmering stock. Wait until they float, indicating that the cooking process has started. Then, place a lid over the stock pot and cook for seven minutes to ensure that the dumplings are fully cooked. You can test a dumpling for doneness before serving it immediately. This recipe holds very well and can be stored in your refrigerator for days while remaining of top quality. Enjoy!