Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings

Shaye's Note:

This takes a long time, but it is worth the work. If you decide to use canned broth, cut the salt in the dumplings. (I'm guesstimating on the prep/cook time.)

• Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Chicken and Broth

• 3 quarts water
• 3 -4 lbs cut up chicken
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 small sliced onion
• 2 stalks celery , chopped
• 1 garlic clove , peeled and quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 -6 whole fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dumplings

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 1 1⁄8; cups milk

Directions:

1. Boil 3 quarts water in a large pot.
2. Add chicken, 1 t salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and parsley and simmer for 2 hours.
3. The liquid will reduce by 1/3.
4. When chicken is cooked, remove it and set aside.
5. Strain stock and throw away everything but the stock.
6. Put 6 cups of the stock back into the pot. (Leftover stock can be frozen.)
7. Add the pepper, 1/2 t salt and lemon juice and reheat while you mix dumplings.
8. For dumplings, mix flour, baking powder, 1-1/4 t salt and milk in a medium bowl.
9. Stir until smooth, then let dough rest for 5-10 minutes.
10. Roll dough onto a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness. (Handle the dough as little as possible for good dumplings).
11. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares (I use a pizza cutter) and drop each square into the simmering stock.
12. Use all of the dough.
13. The dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy.
14. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until thick.
15. Stir often.
16. While the stock is thickening, the chicken will have cooled.
17. Tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin.
18. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and drop them into the pot.
19. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, but stir carefully so you don't break the chicken up.
20. When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plates and serve hot.
21. (Very good over mashed potatoes.).

Reviews

[sun10down]

Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. I have made this a few times now and I am still not getting the salt and pepper mixtures exactly right - but it is getting there. I also like the broth thicker than it was getting on it's own (even after letting it cook) - so I added a little corn startch/water mixture to help it a little.

[Chef #600333]

This recipe was excellent! It requires alot of time and patience, but well worth it. Once I really floured the surface and batter, it was a whole lot easier to work with.

[Pam 88]

I've been making this recipe for several years. I sometimes cook the broth and chicken then freeze for later in the week/month. They freeze well - all you have to do is "melt" the broth and make the dumplings. In a pinch canned chicken stock works well too, just cook the chicken pieces in the stock while you make your dumplings. 5 stars at our house!