CRACKER BARREL CHICKEN & DUMPLINS

Chicken and broth:

4 quarts of water
(1) 3-4 pound chicken, cut up
(I used bone-in chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled & quartered

1 bay leaf
4-6 whole parsley leaves (I used flakes)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dumplins:

2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1. Bring the water to a boil in large pot. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce by about one third.

2. When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside. Strain the stock to remove all the vegetables and floating scum. You only want the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out.

3. Pour 2 quarts of the stock back into the pot (keep any leftover stock, if any in case you need to thin out the mixture later). Add pepper, and lemon juice.

4. For dumplins, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough on a floured surface(the dough may seem gooey) sprinkle some flour on top, turn over and sprinkle some more on bottom side. Knead together a bit until it is all floury and not so sticky, then with your hands spread out until it's about 1/2 inch thickness. You can do this with a rolling pin but I find it sticks to the pin, it's easier with your hands.

5. Heat the stock back to a rolling boil over medium heat. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all the dough. The dumplins will swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until thick. Stir often.

6. While the stock is thickening, tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin. Cut the chicken meat into bite size pieces and drop them into the pot after the dumplins are done. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so to heat the chicken. Do not stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred, you want big chunks.

Makes about 4 servings.