Chicken and Dumplings

ingredients:

Chicken and Broth

~ 1 whole chicken

~ 1 onion

~ 3 to 5 or more cloves of garlic

~ 2 big carrots

~ 3 stalks of celery including leaves

~ 2 bay leaves

~ 2 teaspoons salt 

~ 1 teaspoon black pepper

~ 1/2 teaspoon thyme

~ 1/4 teaspoon sage (optional)

~ 8 cups of water or enough to cover chicken

Dumplings

~ 4 cups flour

~ 6 tablespoons of shortening and/or chicken fat

~ 1 teaspoon of salt 

~ 1 teaspoon of baking soda

~ 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Instructions: 

Chicken and Broth

1. In 6 quart pan add in your whole chicken. Wash, peel and cut in half, all of your vegetables and add them in with the chicken. Add seasonings in to the pan and pour in water until chicken is covered. 

2. On high heat bring chicken to a boil, once it comes to a boil turn down to medium low heat and let simmer for 2 hours. 

3. After the 2 hours let cool for at least an hour then strain in to a like sized pot or bowl. Pour broth in to glass jars cover with lid and store in refrigerator until the following day. Let chicken cool until able to handle, debone and remove fat or anything else you wouldn't want to eat and shred chicken with hands, store in refrigerator until the following day.

Dumplings

1. In a medium bowl pour in your flour, salt and baking soda. Get your cold broth out of the refrigerator and skim the chicken fat off the top and measure in to flour, if you don't have enough chicken fat just finish it out with shortening. Cut the fat/shortening in to the flour mixture stir in your buttermilk just until dough forms.

2.Turn dough out on to floured surface fold a few times until it comes together, cut dough in half. Roll out half of your dough as thin as you can get it about 1/8 of an inch or so. Cut in to strips then cut strips in to about 2 inch long dumplings, repeat with other half of dough.

Assembly

1. Pour chicken broth in to 6 quart pan and bring to a rolling boil. Add dumplings in a few at a time until you put all the dumplings in DO NOT STIR  you can shake your pan or poke down the dumplings with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let cook on a low boil for about 5 to 10 mins then let simmer for 20, When they are thick they are ready! Add cooked chicken back in to warm and enjoy!

NOTE: FAST and EASY version. Used store bought broth and a rotisserie chicken in place of homemade. Make dumplings as instructed only using shortening. Assemble as instructed as well.