Chicken and Dumplings on Two Continents

Tonight I made chicken with dumplings. I used to make this dish in the Azores 25 years ago; I was a less experienced cook then and the only cookbook I brought in my suitcase was the small paperback edition of the Better Homes and Gardens (red checkered cover). The chickens I bought there included the feet, which I dutifully boiled to make stock. The market in Ponta Delgado, on the main island Sao Miguel, was fresh and interesting: it had no imported goods, only what was available in season right then and there. I bought round slices of firm white fish and cooked it only to find it was conger eel (tastes like chicken, only snowy white and tough, with lots of little bones). We could buy big cabbages and cauliflowers, and excellent sausages. On a sad note, Dad was stuck there once for Thanksgiving when the rest of us were back in Colorado, and he had liver for Thanksgiving dinner. This story depresses me every time I hear it.

This time I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, my current favorite for any long-cooked chicken dish. First I browned onions, carrots, celery, green pepper, and then the chicken in a mixture of butter and olive oil; I deglazed with white vermouth; added chopped fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (really); then added water, salt, and pepper, and simmered for 45 minutes. I made dumplings from my Whole Wheat Biscuits for 2 recipe:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons milk

and dropped them onto the simmering stew. Cooked covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for 10 more.

With it we had collard greens and a plate of sliced tomatoes with chopped basil, olives, sliced green onions, and a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil.