Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken (about 3-4 pounds), cut into pieces (or 3-4 pounds of chicken parts)
• 8 cups of chicken broth or water
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning or dried thyme
• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional for garnish)

For the Dumplings:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup of milk (adjust as necessary for dough consistency)

Instructions

Cooking the Chicken:

1. Prepare the Broth: In a large pot, combine the chicken pieces, broth, onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Simmer: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
3. Remove the Chicken: Take the chicken out of the broth and set it aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces.
4. Strain the Broth: Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove the vegetables and any bone pieces. Discard the solids and return the clear broth to the pot.

Making the Dumplings:

1. Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the melted butter and milk to form a soft dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it’s too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be moist but not wet.
3. Forming Dumplings: Use two spoons or a small ice cream scoop to drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the simmering broth.

Finishing the Dish:

1. Cook Dumplings: Once all dumplings are in the pot, gently stir to ensure they’re submerged. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through and a toothpick comes out clean.
2. Add Chicken Back: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir gently to combine.
3. Season: Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
4. Serve: Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls, making sure everyone gets a good portion of chicken, dumplings, and the delicious broth.
5. Garnish: Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired before serving.

Tips and Variations

• For a richer broth, you can use chicken stock instead of water or add a bouillon cube for more flavor.
• You can add other vegetables like peas or diced potatoes with the carrots and celery.
• Some people like to add a bit of cream or a roux (butter and flour mixture) to the broth to make it thicker and creamier.
• If you like your dumplings herby, you can mix in some fresh or dried herbs such as parsley, dill, or chives.

Enjoy your homemade chicken and dumplings!