Homemade Chicken & Dumplings
Why I Love This Recipe
This Recipe is intended to serve 10 people.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 (3 to 4 lb) Broiler-Fryer Chicken
2 Quarts plus 1/4 cup Water
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Self-Rising Flour
1/4 Cup Shortening
1/4 Cup Cold Water
1/2 Stick of Butter, Melted
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
Directions
Stew entire Chicken in 2 Quarts of Water, adding two stalks of celery and a chopped onion to the water for flavor. Cook for about an hour, until the chicken is falling off the bone.
Remove the chicken from the pot and save the stock.
Cool the chicken, then remove bones, fat and skin.
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
Combine Flour and Salt in a Mixing Bowl.
Cut the Shortening into the Flour using a fork or a masher until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup of cold water, a little at a time, working from the center, using your hands to work the mixture into a dough.
Roll the dough out on a solid surface, about 1/8" thick and cut into strips, 1" to 2" long.
Over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth back to a slow boil. Do not boil rapidly.
With floured hands drop the strips of dough into the slowly boiling broth.
Gently stir the broth after adding several pieces of dough.
Repeat until all the dumpling mix has been used and stir very gently.
Add the chicken, the butter and the pepper to the dumplings and continue to stir gently.
Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.