It’s probably no surprise that we have more than a few cooking magazines delivered to our mailbox every month.

I do have an unwritten rule that I actually need to make things from the magazines now and again, otherwise the subscription doesn’t get renewed… The last subscription to go was America’s Test Kitchen. I liked the concept, but I really disliked them constantly taking a perfectly good recipe and “improving” it until it didn’t even remotely resemble the original. Just too convoluted.

I mean… it’s one thing to swap out ingredients that aren’t readily available – provided you maintain the integrity of the dish. I do things like that all of the time. What I don’t do is try and pass it off as a better version of something. Usually, it’s just me using up things in the pantry.

Another thing I don’t often do is follow a recipe exactly. And… there are always exceptions… Case in point:

Victor was reading the latest edition of Milk Street and came across a recipe for a Chicken Soup with Ricotta Dumplings. Sounded intriguing…

And sounded really good.

Don’t let the ingredient list scare you off. It’s easy.

Chicken Soup with Ricotta Dumplings

adapted from Milk Street Magazine

Ingredients:

Dumplings:

• 3 slices (5 ounces) hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• 1 1/2 ounces (without rind) pecorino Romano cheese, cut into rough ½-inch chunks, plus finely grated pecorino Romano cheese, to serve
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Soup Stock:

• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thirds or fourths
• 2 medium celery stalks, cut into thirds or fourths

 

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

01 In a food processor, combine the bread and pecorino chunks; process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the ricotta, egg yolks, nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

02 In a large Dutch oven, combine the broth, chicken thighs, onion, carrots and celery. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to low, cover and simmer until a skewer inserted into the chicken meets no resistance, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

03 Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a medium bowl; set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the vegetables from the broth. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Using 2 forks or your hands, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces; discard the skin and bones. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

04 Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment. Have ready the flour in a pie plate or other shallow dish. Scoop the chilled ricotta mixture into 16 portions, each about a generous tablespoon, onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, form the portions into balls, drop them into the flour and toss to coat. Shake off the excess and return the dumplings to the baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

05 Return the broth to a simmer over medium. Gently add the dumplings and return the broth to a simmer. Cover and cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer (do not allow the broth to boil), for 10 minutes; the dumplings will rise to the surface and expand.

06 Using a slotted spoon, divide the dumplings among individual bowls. Let rest for about 5 minutes to allow the dumplings to firm up; they will slump slightly as they cool. Divide the shredded chicken among the bowls and sprinkle each portion with parsley. Ladle in the hot broth and sprinkle with grated pecorino.

This one was worth the price of the magazine!

The dumplings were melt-in-your-mouth tender. The broth was rich and flavorful. It was perfect for a rainy Spring dinner.

I can see this happening again…