Chicken and Dumplings

By Hester

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb. whole chicken, cut up
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
• 3/4 tsp. pepper, divided\
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
• 1 tsp. chicken boillon granule
• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 tsp,. poultry seasoning
• 2 tsp. bacon drippings
• 1 cup milk
• onion (optional)
• celery (optional)
• carrots (optional)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil in a large dutch oven. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, ground red pepper, onion, celery and carrot.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Remove chicken, saving broth. Allow to cool. Skim fat from broth. (Put in fridge overnight to let fat harden)

Bring broth to a simmer. Skin, bone and coarsely chop chicken. Add chicken, bouillon and remaining salt & pepper to broth. Return to simmer.

TO MAKE DUMPLINGS.
Combine flour and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Cut in shortening and bacon drippings with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add milk, stirring until dry ingredient are moistened.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Bring broth to a boil. Drop dumplings, a few at a time into boiling broth. Stir gently.

Reduce heat, covera and simmer, stirring often for about 25 mintues.