Instant Pot Chicken and Dumpling

Chicken Soup:

4 TBLS of butter

1 yellow onion, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 stalks of celery, sliced

1/4 cup of leafy celery tops if available, chopped

1 TBLS crushed garlic

6 cups chicken stock

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup sherry wine (if you don't want to use this add in a 1/2 c broth)

1/2 TBLS each of seasoned salt, poultry seasoning (salt free), black pepper, rubbed sage

1 tsp each of dried thyme and parsley

3-4 lbs whole chicken cut up, bones and skin on (I had my butcher cut it up)

3 TBLS corn starch plus 3 TBls water

1/2 cup of heavy cream

Dumplings:

1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of salt

2 TBLS butter

1/2 cup whole milk

  • Hit the Sauté button on the Instant Pot.

  • Add in the butter and once melted, add in the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes.

  • Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer.

  • Then pour in the broth and stir well.

  • Add the chicken and make sure all is covered by the broth. Toss in the bay leaves and secure the lid.

  • Hit the cancel button and then hit pressure button. Pressure for 10 minutes.

  • When the chicken is done cooking, perform a quick release. Discard the bay leaves and remove the chicken from pot with tongs. Set chicken aside in a bowl to cool.

  • Add the sherry, seasoned salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, rubbed sage, thyme parsley, leafy tops from celery to the pot and stir well. Let the pot rest for the time being.

  • While the chicken is cooling down, make the dumplings by mixing together all the dumpling ingredients.

  • Begin by placing the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Then, place the butter and milk in a pyrex and microwave for 40 seconds. Pour the milk/butter mixture into the flour and lightly mix with a fork until totally blended so a warm dough forms. (NOTE: Don’t overdo the mixing as it can make for a tough dumpling).

  • From there, lightly knead the dough. Then, on a clean surface covered with flour, take a flour-coated rolling pin and roll the dough to be 1/8 inch thick max (it is very important that it is no thicker than 1/8 inch so it cooks properly).

  • Then, using a pizza cutter or knife, slice the into the dough vertically into strips about 1 inch wide and then slice horizontally about 2inch wide, forming little rectangular strips.

  • Dust with additional flour so they don’t stick to each other.

  • Now give the pot some heat again by hitting the sauté button.

  • Once it bubbles, stir in the cornstarch slurry, stirring as you add it.

  • Then add in the dumpling strips one-by-one and then give them a good stir making sure none are sticking to each other.

  • Then, allow them to simmer for 10 minutes WITH THE LID ON THE POT (NOTE: Make sure the lid is not sealed but rather resting slightly off-kilter on the pot This way, steam will escape on the sides. You may also use a glass lid to fit the 6qt or 8qt).

  • After 10 minutes of the dumplings boiling in the pot, hit the cancel button so the bubbles die down.

  • The chicken should now be relatively cool enough to handle. Pick the bones clean of all the meat, discarding the bones, skin, and cartilage.

  • Rip the chicken by hand into robust pieces and add to the pot. Add in the heavy cream and give everything a final stir until well combined