Slick dumplings are made in the American South. They are thin, chewy, gummy dumplings, more like noodles than dumplings, because they don’t puff up.
To make the dough, some people just use their pie crust recipe, maybe swapping in milk for the water and stirring in an egg or two. Some just use flour and broth, some people put eggs and / or a fat in the dough, such as butter, lard, shortening or margarine. A few people add a teaspoon of baking powder, but some southerners think it’s scandalous to put baking powder in, that that’s what people from the “North” would do. They say baking powder makes them water-logged biscuits.
The dough is rolled out about ⅛ inch (3mm) thin, then either cut into strips 2 inches (5 cm) by ¾ inch (2 cm), or 2 inch (5 cm) squares, or just cut into long strips about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, then pulled off in pieces.
To cook, they are simmered in a pot for 15 minutes in a broth of chicken, squirrel or salt-pork. When adding them to the broth, you try to keep them separated as much as possible, or if you need to double up owing to space considerations, scatter them a few at a time, giving the pieces a few seconds to firm up in the water before putting in more that will touch them.
Some say to cover the pot; some say don’t. Some say never stir; others say stir once after they’ve all been in for a minute or so, and then stir again half-way through.
When done, they will plump up to about twice their starting size.
In the American South, they are just referred to as “slicks.” With chicken, the dish is called “Chicken and Slicks.”
Cooking Tips
A basic recipe is:
2 cups flour
1 cup chicken broth (from the pot you are stewing the chicken in)
Mix dough, roll out thinly. Put in pot. Cover, or don’t cover based on whose opinion you go with. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.