Week #48: West Virginia - Mountaineer Chicken & Dumplings Pizza

State:  West Virginia

I have only visited West Virginia once, which was Charles Town for a Lolapooloza concert in 1994.  Lalapalooza was an all day festival, hosting the Beastie Boys, Tribe Called Quest, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, and many more well-known bands.  We were in High School and were pulled over by the police for throwing beer cans out of the window.  Luckily for us, we just had to dump the beer out and we were allowed to leave.  I was a much different person then, but the memory is clear as yesterday.  So when thinking about the state, I really did not have much to think about.  However, in my research, I found out that WV is known for Chicken & Dumplings.  Now my grandmother made killer C&D, which my mom has lived on with the recipe.  This is the first time I made it, which actually turned out really good.  This was my wife's first time eating chicken and dumplings, which she loved!  I hope you enjoy this pizza, because it was REALLY amazing!

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breast cutlets

1 12 oz. container of chicken broth

2 carrots - peeled and diced

1 small onion - diced

DUMPLINGS:

1 c flour

1 tsp salt

2 Tsp baking powder

1/3 c milk

Salt & pepper to taste

1 Pizza Crust

1 block of White Cheddar Cheese

Chicken & Dumplings:

Combine chicken, celery, carrots, onion, chicken broth, parsley, chicken bouillon granules, salt and pepper in a large pot.  Add enough water to cover chicken.  Bring chicken and water to a boil.  Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove chicken and let stand until cool enough to handle.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add meat back into the water and add salt and pepper.  Add peas, carrots, and onions, simmering on low. 

In a mixing bowl, combine dumpling ingredients and mix well to form a stiff dough texture.  Drop by tablespoonful’s into simmering soup.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450.  Cook crust for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.  Turn down heat to 400 degrees.  Scoop out chicken and dumplings, arranging onto the pizza and ensure all areas of the crust are covered evenly.  Next, freshly grate cheddar cheese onto the chicken and dumplings.  Do not grate too much, just enough to add some extra flavor.  I would do 1/3 cup of cheese, just to add a little flavor without overdoing it. 

Pairing:

This pizza, you can use something to balance out the comfort, so I would go with a hoppy IPA or something with malty tones.  Of course I went with an IPA with a strong hoppy finish.  Cheers!

Learning Moments:

Why did I not ever make this before?  Man, this dish is amazing.  I love some Chicken & Dumplings!  This dish definitely reminds me of my mother and grandmother’s cooking.  The homemade version of dumplings is much better than the Bisquick versions.  I will definitely utilize this dish more often in our house.  I hope you enjoy this recipe!