Southern Style Chicken Pastry

Chicken pastry is a dish that my mom would make a few times every winter. Some people call it chicken and dumplings but a true Southerner knows this dish as chicken pastry. Not chicken and pastry but simply chicken pastry! It’s a pretty simple dish to make but can be time consuming because of the time it takes to boil the chicken and roll out and cook the pastry. You will need a rolling pin and a sifter to make this dish. If you don’t own them, borrow them from your grandma because I promise you she will have both of these items in her kitchen. It is imperative that you sift your flour and salt together so your pastry pieces aren’t tough but light and fluffy! You should also place your pastry in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 mins so it can dry out a bit. This is another step you can’t skip. I hope your family enjoys this dish as much as my family has over the last 40 years. A bowl of chicken pastry will literally warm your soul and fill your belly. It is a perfect dish for those cold winter evenings! 

Ingredients Needed to Make Chicken Pastry

1 Whole Chicken, 4-5lb average 2 cups of Flour ½ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste Salt to taste Garlic powder to taste 2 boxes of chicken broth Water  A Whole onion 2 stalks of celery

1 garlic clove

Directions to Make Chicken Pastry

1. Place a clean (make sure you remove the gizzards and neck) whole chicken in a large stock pot with a whole onion and two stalks of celery. 2. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste 3. Add one box of chicken broth and enough water to your pot to slightly cover the chicken.  4. Place on Medium-High heat and let come to a boil. 5. Boil chicken about 45-55 minutes or until done. 6. Remove chicken, onion and celery from the pot, place pieces in a pan to cool. Do not discard the liquid in the pot. You can discard the cooked onion and celery. You only needed it to season the chicken  7. Turn the heat off while the chicken is cooling. 8. Allow chicken to cool enough to handle and remove chicken from bones. 9. Skim as much fat as possible that has surfaced in the pot and discard the fat. 10. Remove ¾ cup to 1 cup of broth from the pot and set aside. You’ll need it to make the dough. Make sure it is completely cool before you use it to make the dough. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP. 11. In your sifter, add 2 cups of flour and one teaspoon of salt. Sift together. You have to sift the flour with the salt in order to make the dough light and fluffy. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! 12. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the ¾ cup of the chicken broth. 13. Mix together until you have a slightly moist dough ball. 14. Generously flour your countertop or large cutting board. 15. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick. 16. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide. 17. Cut each strip into sections about 2 inches long. 18. Place dough pieces in the fridge for about 20 mins so they can dry out a bit and rest. Don’t skip this step! 19. If needed, add 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of water to the pot so you have enough liquid to cook the pastry. 20. Bring the chicken stock to a low boil and drop pieces of dough, one by one, into the stock. Try not to drop dough pieces on top of each other and DO NOT STIR. 21. Add the shredded pieces of chicken to the pot and some Black Pepper to taste. 

*If your stock isn’t as thick and creamy as you’d prefer, thicken it up with a little mixture of cornstarch and water. Just take about two Tablespoons of cornstarch and mix enough water into it to make a slurry. Slowly add a little of this into your pastry, stirring gently, until you have the liquid in the pastry to the way you like it.*

Test the pastry before adding any additional salt. Add salt if needed and stir gently.

22. Simmer for about 15 minutes until dough pieces are fully cooked and tender. 

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