CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

Ingredients

4 quarts water

1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

1 teaspoon Paula Deen's House Seasoning

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 2 1/2 lb chicken

2 cups all-purpose flour, mixed with 1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup ice water

2 tablespoons corn starch, (optional)

Preparation

Chicken:

Cut up chicken, but do not remove skin. The skin and bones can be removed later. 

Place chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon and House Seasoning in water and cook at a low boil for 30 to 45 minutes, until meat begins to fall off the bones. 

Remove skin and bones at this point, along with bay leaves. Return chicken to pan. Prepare dumplings and set them aside for a few minutes. Add cream soup to chicken and continue to boil. 

If desired, you can thicken the stock at little by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and adding it to the stock. Drop dumplings into boiling stock. Never stir dumplings. 

Shake the pot gently in a circular motion to submerge dumplings in stock. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook.

Dumplings:

Put flour/salt mixture in a mixing bowl. Beginning in center of flour, dribble a small amount of ice water. 

Work mixture with fingers from center of bowl to sides of bowl, incorporating small amounts of water at a time. 

Continue until all flour is used up. Batter will feel as if it is going to be tough. Knead dough and form into ball. 

Dust a good amount of flour onto dough board and rolling pin. Roll out dough, working from center. Dough will be firm. 

Roll to 1/8 inch thinness. Let it air-dry for a minute or two while you return your attention to the boiling pot at the point at which you add the canned soup to the chicken mixture. 

Cut dumplings into 1-inch strips. Working with one strip at a time, hold strip over pot, pull it in half, and drop into the boiling stock. 

Remember, do not stir after dumplings have been added to pot.

Note: Frozen dumplings are available in most supermarkets if you don't have time to make them.