Chicken 'n' Dumplings -- Cracker Barrel Style

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 quarts water
• 1 (3 -4 lb) chicken, cut up
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 -6 whole fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, see note
• 1 tablespoon baking powder, see note
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons milk

Recipe

• 1 bring water to a boil in a large pot.
• 2 add the chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and parsley to the pot.
• 3 reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours.
• 4 the liquid will reduce by about one third.
• 5 when the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside.
• 6 strain the stock to remove all the vegetables and floating scum.
• 7 you want only the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out.
• 8 pour 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) of the stock back into the pot (keep the leftover stock, if any, for another recipe - it can be frozen).
• 9 add coarsely ground pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tablespoon of lemon juice, then reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.
• 10 for the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and milk in a medium bowl.
• 11 stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5 to 20 minutes.
• 12 roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2-inch thickness.
• 13 cut the dough into 1/2-inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock.
• 14 use all of the dough.
• 15 the dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a gravy.
• 16 simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until thick. stir often.
• 17 while the stock is thickening, the chicken will have become cool enough to handle.
• 18 tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin.
• 19 cut the chicken neatly into bite-size pieces and drop them into the pot.
• 20 discard the skin and bones.
• 21 continue to simmer the chicken and dumplings for another 5 to 10 minutes, but don't stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred and fall apart.
• 22 you want big chunks of chicken in the end.
• 23 when the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plates and serve hot.
• 24 serve with your choice of steamed vegetables, if desired.