Chicken and Slicks

I made this recipe for Chicken and Slicks which I found in the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of Cook's Country. It was totally amazing. I followed the recipe exactly except that I left out the celery, due to my family member who hates celery. Also I used white whole wheat flour rather than all purpose flour. The recipe came out fine though I did need to add a little more chicken fat and water to the "slicks" dough to get it to come together. This recipe involved a lot of steps but the results were fantastic. Leftovers that sat in the fridge over night thickened into more of a chicken-n-dumplings style dish which I also love! If you don't want a very thick stew-almost-gravy type consistency, skip the part about adding the flour slurry (1 cup liquid and toasted flour) at the end. This is an absolutely solid method for any type of chicken-based soup. I will definitely make this again. Especially reminded me of my mother-in-law's chicken rivel soup.

Chicken-n-Slicks

serves 4-6

3 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved crosswise

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups plus 6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium celery stalks, diced

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

8 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven over medium heat, toast the 6 tablespoons of flour, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Transfer flour to a medium bowl and wipe out pot.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in now empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.  Pour the fat in the pan into another small bowl; set aside.  There should be about 2 tablespoons of fat.  If there is less fat than that left, add enough vegetable oil to equal 2 tablespoons.  When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin.  

Return the empty pot to the stove and heat over medium-high heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add 7 1/2 cups of broth, chicken, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the heat and transfer chicken to a clean plate.  When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding bones.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken fat, and remaining tablespoon of oil in a liquid measuring cup.  In the bowl of a food processor, process the remaining 2 cups of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.  With the machine running, slowly pour in the broth mixture and process until it resembles a coarse meal.  Turn dough onto a very lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth.  Divide dough in half.

Following photos, roll each dough half into a 10-inch square.  Cut each square into twenty 5-inch by 1-inch rectangles.  Place several noodles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with another sheet of parchment, and repeat stacking with remaining noodles, ending with a sheet of parchment.  Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes.

Return broth to a simmer and add the noodles.  Cook until the noodles are nearly tender, about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to separate.  Remove 1 cup of broth and whisk into the reserved toasted flour.  Stir broth-flour mixture into pot being careful not to break up noodles.  Simmer until lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add shredded chicken and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley.  Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Cook's Country, February/March 2011