Grandma Jenkins' Chicken and Dumplings
Why I Love This Recipe
My Grandma Jenkins has been making her dumplings since she was a young girl. Grandma - or GG as my children call her, is turning 98 years young this year and we love her dearly. This is the recipe I cook for my family, and I hope it creates as many loving memories as I have from GG.
Submitted by: "Jennifer Beard"
Ingredients You'll Need
Chicken Stock:
1 whole chicken (or 7 chicken breast)
1 Whole Purple Onion- diced into small pieces
4-5 stalks of celery- diced into small pieces
5-6 carrots- diced into small pieces
4 Bullion cubes
Salt and Pepper - to taste in the stock.
Dumplings:
4 Cups of Flour
Salt and Pepper - 1 TBLSPN Salt 1.5 TBLSPN Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1/4- 1/2 cup chicken stock (after it has cooked at least 1 hour)
4 eggs
Thickening Agent:
4 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
Directions
Clean Chicken and place into stock pot. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Cover with water (at least 6-8 cups) and salt and pepper.
Boil 1 hour on low heat.
Remove chicken from stock pot- strain liquid into another pot - if needed (sometimes whole chickens create a bit of residue and fat)
Clean the cooked vegetables, if needed- then add them back to liquid (stock).
If you have used breasts, you may just remove the chicken, there will be no need to strain.
Place chicken in fridge to cool 20-30 minutes.
While the chicken is cooling, mix 4 cups flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix well and form a well in the bowl.
Add the 4 eggs to the well.
Slowly add the cooled stock (about half)
Mix ingredients well- dough will be a bit sticky.
If the dough is too dry, add a bit more of the cooled stock.
On a flat surface, dust with flour for rolling.
Place 1/2 of the dough and coat lightly with flour- including your hands and rolling pin- again, dough will be sticky.
Roll to 1/8 inch thickness- just before the dough breaks is the thickness you need.
With a paring knife cut the dough into 1.5 inch in width, about 2-3 inched in length- so they look like little rectangles.
Leave on surface while you go to the next steps.
De-bone (if needed) and Shred chicken that is cooled and place back into stock pot.
Add the Cream of Chicken Soup
Bring to a slow boil over Medium heat
Slowly add dumplings a few at a time, stirring constantly.
Keep adding dumplings until they are gone.
Repeat the rolling and cutting of dough if you would like more dumplings.
I usually use 3/4 of the dough.
Let dumplings boil slowly 30-40 minutes.
Please be sure to stir very often to prevent clumping and sticking.
Serve with fresh bread, crackers, or over cooked rice.
My family eats it more as a "stew" - however, you may choose to go with less dumplings for more of a "soup" consistency.
I have also subsitututed the dumpling prepration for no yolks noodles, and it makes a delicious Chicken Noodle Soup!
