A Southern comfort food staple swaps the celery for sweet fennel and gets a flavor upgrade with a finishing touch of orange zest and bourbon—don’t miss it.
Fennel Chicken and Dumplings
Yields: 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ cups sliced fennel bulb
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup sliced peeled parsnip
- 2 quarts Homemade Broth
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 (12-ounce) package frozen dumplings*
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 to 3 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Garnish: chopped fresh fennel fronds, ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add fennel, onion, and parsnip; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add broth and salt; bring to a boil.
- Add dumplings, one at a time, stirring to keep dumplings from sticking to bottom of pot. Bring to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- In a small bowl, place flour. Carefully ladle 2 cups hot broth into flour, whisking until smooth. Stir flour mixture into pot; gently stir in chicken, bourbon, zest, and pepper. Cook until dumplings are cooked through and broth has thickened, about 10 minutes. Garnish with fennel and pepper, if desired.
Notes
*We used Mary Hill Homestyle Dumplings.
FREEZE IT:
Follow recipe through step 1, adding chicken after salt. When reheating, bring to a simmer and continue as directed.
FREEZE IT:
Follow recipe through step 1, adding chicken after salt. When reheating, bring to a simmer and continue as directed.
