We all need a little bit more comfort, that’s why we turned to two locally-loved Newport Beach restaurants to share recipes for fan-favorite comfort dishes for you to make at home. Tavern House gives us Chicken & Thyme Dumplings and A&O Kitchen+Bar serves up their chicken fried sandwich. With ingredients found in your pantry and freezer, these recipes are easy-to-make, will enhance you’re cooking skill sand are so comforting, they’re essentially a hug in a dish, happy cooking!

Chicken & Thyme Dumplings from Tavern House

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
5 cups chicken broth
¼ tsp turmeric
½ tsp dried thyme
3 cups frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
6 cups coarsely chopped, roasted boneless chicken
½ cup heavy cream
7 tbsp cornstarch
7 tbsp water

For dumplings:

1-1/2 cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 tbsp Baking Powder1 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 cups half and half
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves1 tbsp chopped chives

Directions:

1. Place oil in large dutch oven and heat.
2. Add onions, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and turmeric and cook over low heat until onions are just translucent.
3. Add chicken stock and chicken and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to simmer and add cream.
5. Bring to a simmer and using a soup spoon, drop individual scoops of the dumpling batter evenly on the top of the simmering broth.
6. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the dumplings are firm and no longer doughy.
7. Allow to sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Fried Chicken Sandwich from A&O Kitchen+Bar

Ingredients:

10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp kosher salt
3 tsp black pepper
3 cups all-purpose flour canola oil (as needed)
pickles
coleslaw
aioli

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, paprika, cayenne, and half the salt and black pepper.
2. Add chicken.
3. Mix well and refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate.
   Add the flour and remaining salt and black pepper to a baking dish.
4. Remove the chicken from bowl, 2 to 3 pieces at a time and coat well in the seasoned flour.
5. Be sure to press the flour into the meat cover completely. Shake off excess and reserve on a baking sheet.
6. When all the pieces of chicken are dredged in the flour, add about an inch of oil to a heavy frying pan.
7. Over medium-high flame, heat the oil to 375 F.
8. Fry chicken for about 20 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown.
9. Rest on pan with cooling rack to drain excess oil.
10. Assemble sandwich as desired.

BONUS! Pair with A&O’s Rose All Day Cocktail

Ingredients:

1oz Ketel One Vodka
1oz grapefruit simple syrup
1oz lemon juice
3/4 oz grapefruit juice

Directions:

1. Make grapefruit simple syrup by combining 2 parts sugar, 1 part grapefruit juice to a pot and heat until the sugar has dissolved; let cool.
2. Combine all ingredients, shake and strain into a rocks glass over ice.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel.