Chicken And Dumplings, With Potato Dumplings

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 5
• 1 (3 lb) chicken
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 -3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4-1 teaspoon salt, if not using potato use 3/4 t
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup shredded potato (optional)

Recipe

• 1 place all ingredients except the celery, cream and dumplings into a large pot, bring to just a boil and reduce heat to a very slow simmer. a bigger chicken will require a little more water.
• 2 cover and simmer very slow for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until chicken is falling apart and a rich broth is produced.
• 3 carefully remove chicken to a platter and allow to cool enough to separate the meat from the bone, cartilage and skin. be sure to remove all chicken parts from the broth.
• 4 optional-i like to place the bones back into the broth and simmer slowly, covered for another hour then remove or strain broth through a colander, this is optional but will richen the broth.
• 5 after making sure all bones and chicken parts are removed from pot, tear chicken meat into course pieces and place back into pot.
• 6 add celery and simmer until the celery is almost done, about 15 or 20 minutes. add cream and stir.
• 7 make the dumplings, mix dry ingredients, shred potato to 3/4 cup softly packed, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can, add to dry ingredients and mix well with a fork. (i like fairly dense dumplings, for fluffier dumplings add 1 teaspoon more baking powder.).
• 8 add the milk and butter, mix until just blended, sometimes because of the potato i have to add a tablespoon or so of more flour, you want biscuit dough consistency.
• 9 drop by spoonful into the soup, remember they will swell a bit, about double.
• 10 cover and simmer for 10 minutes, check the dumplings, you may need additional time for the potato to cook (just 4 or 5 minutes), taste a dumpling, there should be no crunchy raw potato.
• 11 if the pot becomes overcrowded with dumplings, stop and place dough covered in the refrigerator, after serving you can replenish the soup with dumplings for seconds or leftovers.
• 12 add ins - 1 cup of diced carrots may be added in right before the celery if wished. 1/2 cup of sweet peas may also be added right before the dumplings, then you have deluxe chicken and dumplings.