Recipe: Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings (from scratch)

MOM'S CHICKEN AND BUTTERMILK DUMPLINGS

1 stewing chicken (about 5 pounds), cut up
10 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil; skim foam from broth. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken; when cool enough to handle, debone and dice. Strain broth, reserving broth and vegetables.

In the same kettle, melt butter. Stir in flour, paprika and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in 6 cups reserved broth (save remaining broth for another use). Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in the cream, reserved vegetables and chicken. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to simmer.

TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS:
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Combine eggs, buttermilk and butter; stir into dry ingredients to form a stiff batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Serve immediately.

Makes 6-8 servings
Source: Ellen Proefrock, Brodhead, Wisconsin in Country Woman magazine, May/June 1999