Scratch Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
1 – 2 lbs. of Chicken (depends on how much chicken you want in your final product) With or without bones… However chicken with bones is more flavorful
Salt and pepper to taste
Dough
1 egg
1/4 – teaspoon Salt
1 – teaspoon (level) baking powder
1 – cup broth cool broth
1-1/2 – cup All Purpose Flower
Directions
Place chicken in a deep pan and cover with water to about two to three inches above the chicken,
Cook the chicken until done, will vary depending on type of chicken you use, bone in vs boneless
Once the chicken is done remove chicken to let cool
Take one cup of broth and let it cool down, you don’t want to use hot broth to make your dumplings
While your broth ad chicken are cooling mix together your flour, salt and baking powder.
Shred the chicken and remove the bones if you used chicken with bones.
Place your chicken back into the broth and starting bringing it to a slow boil.
Once your broth is cool, it can be warm but almost cold will work the best, take a fork and mix your egg into the flour mixture and start adding in your broth.
Get your hands in there and make a good dough, as grandmother used to say…. “the dough picks up the love and care as you use your hands to make the dough”
Once your dough is ready, lightly flour your counter and roll out the dough
Your dough should be no thicker than 1/4 inch thick, anything thicker and your dumpling will be tough
Cut your dough into one inch wide strips and then cut across to create a one inch by 1-1/2 inch piece of dough.
Start dropping your dumplings into the boiling chicken and broth. You may need to add some additional water if your dumplings start to soak up too much of the broth.
Cook your dumplings until they are done usually about 5 – 10 min. after you put the last pieces in to cook.
This will make a large batch of chicken and dumplings.
This is my grandmother’s recipe I have no idea the origin but my guess is that she created it during WWII when things were rationed and things were tight at home. I’m basing this on the limited ingredients and simplicity of the recipe.