Chicken and Dumplings

*sweetomato*'s Note:

This recipe takes a long time to prepare but is worth it.

• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Chicken and broth

• 3 quarts water
• 1 (3 lb) chicken, cut up
• 3 stalks celery, with their leaves,cut in half
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut in 3 pieces
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut in 3 pieces
• 1 large leeks or 2 small leeks, cut in half
• 1/2 bunch parsley, with stems
• 1/2 bunch fresh dill, with stems
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

Dumplings

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder, plus
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk, plus
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Wash chicken and remove any excess fat, but not the skin.
2. Place chicken in a large kettle.
3. Add vegetables, parsley and dill along with the salt, pepper and garlic.
4. Add enough water to just cover chiken and vegetables.
5. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer.
6. Cook for 10 minutes and skim away the foam on top.
7. Simmer gently, uncovered, for an hour.
8. Remove the chicken and vegetables.
9. Remove the chicken from the bones and removing the skin from the chicken.
10. The vegetables can be sliced and added into this recipe or saved for soup.
11. Skim away the fat that has formed on top of the broth or refrigerate until the next day and scrape off the solid fat.
12. Pour 6 cups of the stock back into the pot (the left over stock can be used for another recipe and frozen).
13. Reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the Dumplings.
14. For the Dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and milk in a medium bowl.
15. Stir until smooth, then let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes.
16. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2-inch thickness.
17. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock.
18. Use all of the dough.
19. The Dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy.
20. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until thick.
21. Stir often.
22. Add bite sized or a little larger pieces of chicken to the pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
23. If desired, add the vegetables cooked with the broth, cut into bite sized pieces.
24. Gently stir so as not to break up the chicken or dumplings.
25. When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle onto plates and serve hot.