Recipe: Brenda’s Classic Chicken and Dumplings

Makes 6-8 servings.

Soup:

Dumplings:

Soup: Put the whole chicken, water and broth in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil uncovered, and then turn down the heat and let it simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.

Remove chicken from the pot and let cool. Once cooled, toss away any fat and skin and save the bones. Chop or shred the remaining pieces of meat and set aside. Then, return the reserved bones back to the pot of broth and simmer for an additional 1 to 1½ hours.

Remove bones and strain off any foam or bits of fat. (Note: at this point you have a great soup base for chicken noodle soup or other soups).

Next, add butter, milk, bouillon, salt and pepper, then simmer 30 minutes.

Dumplings: In a large bowl, cut shortening into flour and then carefully add milk a little a time, lightly mixing until dough holds together firmly. Flour your counter and pat out dough until mixture is about 1¼ inches thick. Cut into 1-inch-wide, 2-inch-long rectangular shapes. Set aside on a floured surface until ready to use. Makes 30-40 dumplings.

Turn up the heat, bringing your broth to boiling and drop dumplings one at a time into the center of the boiling liquid, being careful not to crowd them. Moving the ones already in the pot out of the way will help avoid clumping.

Reduce heat, cover and continue cooking until your dumplings are no longer doughy and float to the surface. Once they are cooked, return your chicken meat to the pot and warm through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.