Southern Chicken & Dumplings

Southern Chicken and Dumplings

From the kitchen of Grandma Jan

Ingredients:

• 3 cans chicken broth, plus enough water to make 2 ½ quarts (10 cups total)
• 2 stalks of celery, cut in large chunks
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 carrots, sliced thin
• 2lbs chicken; boneless, skinless – uncut
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• ½ t thyme
• 1 bayleaf
• ½ tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper

Dumplings:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup of crisco
• ½ cup of water (+/-)

Directions:

1. Place onion, celery, and bayleaf in a mesh bag or cheesecloth and place in the pot. If you don’t have a bag/cheesecloth, you can put it straight in, but you’ll have to pick them out later.
2. Add carrots, broth and water, all the other spices, chicken bouillon, and Boil chicken with veggies, broth & spices for 20 minutes
3. Remove chicken and veggies from the pot with a slotted spoon. Reserve carrots but discard onion, celery and bay leaf
4. Cut chicken into pieces and set aside.
5. Cut shortening into flour/salt mixture with a fork or pastry blender. You can use quick pulses in your food processor. Once you get a rough sand texture that sticks together, turn it onto a pastry mat or floured surface and work into a dough.
6. Divide dough in half and roll thin. Cut dough into thin strips like noodles but keep your dumplings under 2-3 inches long.
7. Bring broth to a boil again and add carrots back in. Add dumplings in a few at a time so they don’t stick. Boil 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Add back in the chicken until warmed through again. 
8. Serve.