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Bowl of old-fashioned Southern chicken and pastry with flat pastry strips in creamy broth

Chicken and Pastry

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or 1 whole chicken
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk optional, for creaminess
For the pastry
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp cold butter
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth for the dough

Method
 

  1. If using a whole chicken, simmer it in the broth until tender, then remove, shred, and keep the broth at a low simmer.
  2. Make the pastry: mix the flour and salt, cut in the cold butter, then stir in the broth to form a stiff dough.
  3. Roll the dough out thin on a floured surface and cut into 2-inch squares or strips.
  4. Drop the pastry pieces into the simmering broth one at a time so they do not stick. Cook 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
  5. Stir the shredded chicken back in, add the milk if using, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer a few minutes to thicken, making sure the chicken is heated to 165 degrees F. Serve hot.

Notes

For the most tender pastry, let the dough rest 10 minutes before rolling. Drop the strips in one at a time and keep the broth at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.