Southern Chicken & Dumplings With Herbed Broth

Step 1: Combine 1 cup flour and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Step 2: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add chicken, and cook until golden, turning once. Add additional oil, if needed. Remove chicken from Dutch oven, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.

Step 3: Cook onion and garlic in drippings, stirring constantly, until tender.

Step 4: Add 1 tablespoon flour, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly; gradually add broth, stirring constantly.

Step 5: Add chopped basil and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Return chicken to Dutch oven; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Step 6: Remove chicken from Dutch oven, and keep warm.

Step 7: Combine 2 cups flour and whipping cream in a large bowl, stirring with a fork (mixture will be dry and crumbly). Gently pat mixture into 2-inch balls, handling dough as little as possible.

Step 8: Bring broth mixture to a rolling boil; add dumplings. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, without stirring, 7 - 10 minutes or until dumplings are firm in center.

Step 9: Remove broth mixture from heat. Stir in sour cream, if desired. Serve dumplings and broth over chicken, and garnish, if desired.

NOTE: Adding the sour cream makes this broth creamy - like a Hungarian style dish. The texture is more traditional without the sour cream.