killer chicken and dumplings

How To Make killer chicken and dumplings

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  1

  Start a 4 to 6 quart pan of water about half full Add the roughly chopped onion, carrots and celery, with black pepper and salt. Medium boil for about 30 minutes. Add the whole chicken breasts, or what ever pieces you like. legs, or thighs. Cook them with the bones and skin on. until the chicken is done and tender about 25 to 30 min at a medium boil. Take out of liquid and let cool. Mean while strain all the vegetables out of the broth. The veg has done it's job, throw it away or compost it.
• 2

  Bring the broth up to a medium boil and taste. I like the bullion or soup base it adds a layer of flavor. Also if needed to supplement the broth you can use canned or boxed broth.
• 3

  While the broth is coming back up to a boil. Mix the dry ingredients together well. Pour in the milk and oil and mix quickly, and mix thoroughly. I like to make my dumplings a little tough so they don't fall apart in the pan. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. My son bought me a silicone pastry sheet which works wonderfully. Pat the dough out to about 1/2 of an inch thick-give or take a little,you don't have to use a ruler. :) Using a floured butter knife, slice into ribbons and then into 1 or 2 inch sections.
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  4

  This is crucial.Your water must be boiling as you drop in the dumplings one by one. Take care to not let them stick together, but move them about in the broth gently. Keep adding the dumplings pushing aside the ones already coming up to the top. As soon as you have all the dumplings in the broth, turn the burner down to higher than a simmer and lower than a medium boil. Gently move the dumplings around, let cook for just about 5 minutes then cover. You cannot let them boil or they will come to pieces. Let cook for 30 minutes. The best way to tell if they are done is to take out a big dumplings and check it by cutting it in half. See if it is light and fluffy inside. Taste it.. does it feel right like a good dumpling? These will be fluffy not like noodles. By now the broth should be thick and white.
• 5

  While the dumplings cook -- bone the chicken and either shred or cube the meat. Add back to the broth about 15 minutes into the dumpling cooking process. After you test the dumplings to find out if they are done after 30 minutes.. and they should be Serve. These are worth the effort
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