Chicken and Dumplings

This is by far one of the best and easiest southern meals to prepare. There are many different ways to prepare chicken and dumplings. Some folks roll out the dumplings and some people use canned biscuits. I prefer the drop dumplings. Also some people use boneless chicken breast. I prefer bone in skinless breast because the bones make a wonderful broth. Sometimes I use a whole fryer chicken and double the dumpling batter if I have a large crowd to feed.

Chicken and Dumplings

2 large skinless bone-in chicken breast

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup self rising corn meal

milk

chicken broth

salt and pepper

Begin by boiling your chicken in a large heavy pot. Make sure you put plenty of water to cover the chicken and add about 1 t. salt. Boil until your chicken is tender and falling apart; remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.

Back in the day chicken and dumplings were prepared using "home chickens" which are chickens that you raise to eat. Because the chickens roamed freely and ate whatever they wanted it gave their skin a dark yellow color. So the broth was yellow instead of white. To mimic this I always add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring at this point. This is totally optional. Add about 2 cups or so of chicken broth; this all depends on how much broth you have left after you cooked the chicken. Make sure you have plenty broth and bring it to a gentle boil.

While your broth is heating mix your meal and flour with enough milk to make a very thick batter. Dip a teaspoon into the boiling broth and then into your dumpling batter. Drop batter into your pot a teaspoon at a time; making sure you dip it in the broth each time. Drop half your batter into the pot; cover with lid slightly ajar. Set a timer for 5 min. and remove one dumpling from the pot and cut into it to make sure it is cooked through. If it is remove all the dumplings and set aside, if it is still doughy cook a little longer. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Remove your chicken from the bone and tear into pieces; add everything back to the pot and serve. You can add a little more chicken broth if your dumplings look dry. Enjoy :)