Chicken ‘n’ Dumplins
It’s not as difficult as you might guess!
Ingredients:
Chicken (2 thighs, 2 breast for optimal meat output and flavor)
Salt and Pepper to taste, 2 tsp Rosemary (optional)
1/4 vegetable shortening
3/4 cup boiling water
1. Cook the chicken. If you have a pressure cooker, this is a great way to make it happen quickly; otherwise, cover chicken with water (1.5-2 qts), add salt, pepper, and I like to add 2 tsp rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cook covered for one hour or until thigh juices run clear and breasts have no pink. (Tip: Since thighs take longer to cook, frozen breasts and fresh thighs can cook together beautifully.)
2. Cool chicken. Cut meat from bone. Set aside.
3. Strain the now delicious chicken broth you’ve created and measure 1 qt + 1 cup broth (this amount matters) back into large saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the chicken.
4. Pour self-rising flour in large bowl. Cut in shortening. Add boiling water, a small amount at a time. Shape mixture into a ball. Roll out. (THIN is very important or you will have tough dumplings…definitely no more than 1/4 inch, maybe thinner. Remember since they have self-rising flour, they will puff up plenty.) Cut out dumplings (1.5 inch squares work well).
5. Drop dumplings into broth/chicken mix. (Tip: drop only 2-4 at a time or they will stick and become chicken and one dumpling. Also, it helps tremendously to have a buddy, or your left hand, to use a spatula to push down existing dumplings in the pot to expose plenty of fabulous boiling broth for the incoming dumplings. As soon as the new ones hit the broth for 2-3 seconds, they are far less likely to stick to each other.)
6. Cook until mixture thickens as desired and dumplings are tasty. (Tip: Stir occasionally because dumplings love to burn and become permanent additions to the bottom of your favorite pot. Trust me.)
Enjoy!
