Chicken And Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 lb Chicken
• 1-3 Carrots
• 2-5 Celery stalks, with leaves on if possible
• 1 Onion
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• Salt (to taste)
• Dumplings:
• 1 1/2 c Flour
• 2 ts Baking powder
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 3 ts Shortening
• 3/4 c Milk
• 1 small egg (optional - if you use egg, increase flour to ~2 cups)
• (optional - 1 teaspoon of spice: thyme, rosemary, basil, or whatever...)

Directions

Place chickens & bay leaf in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until chickens are tender. Remove chickens from pan and set aside. Remove bones. Remove skin, if desired. Add chopped carrot, celery, onion, white pepper, baking soda and salt Simmer ~30 minutes. Add deboned chicken and remove from heat.

Dumplings:
Combine flour, baking powder and in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in milk (and egg, if used) until just blended. Bring the chicken and vegetables to a gentle boil. Drop dumplings into the pot in ~small egg-sized amounts (I use a tablespoon to scoop out rounded quantities of the dumpling dough.) Adjust heat to boil gently for 6-7 minutes. Turn dumplings and boil for another 4-6 minutes. (Some cooks feel *strongly* that the dumplings should be covered while cooking. Personally, I'm not so sure that it makes much difference.)

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Meal Master
Submitted By: Shelly Black
shellack@aol.com
Chicken And Dumplings