Southern Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into pieces
• 3 quarts water
• 2 celery ribs, halved
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt for the dough
• 1/3 cup cold shortening or lard
• 3/4 cup reserved hot chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Before you cook

• Cut the chicken into pieces or ask the butcher to do it.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
• Cut the cold shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, then refrigerate the bowl.

Steps

1. Put the chicken pieces in a large pot with the water, celery, onion, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a simmer and skim off any foam.
3. Simmer the chicken for 50 minutes, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
4. Lift the chicken onto a plate and strain the broth into a clean pot, discarding the vegetables.
5. Measure 3/4 cup of the hot broth and pour it into the chilled flour mixture.
6. Stir the dough with a fork until it comes together into a shaggy ball, adding a splash more broth only if dry patches remain.
7. Turn the dough onto a heavily floured counter and knead it four or five times, no more.
8. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as you go.
9. Cut the sheet into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long with a knife or pizza wheel.
10. Let the cut dumplings sit on the floured counter for 10 minutes to dry slightly.
11. Pull the chicken meat off the bones in large shreds and discard the skin and bones.
12. Bring the strained broth to a steady simmer and add the black pepper.
13. Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth a few at a time, letting each batch sink before adding the next.
14. Cover the pot and simmer the dumplings for 20 minutes without stirring, so they hold together.
15. Uncover and stir gently, and notice that the broth has thickened from the dumpling flour.
16. Add the shredded chicken and the cream and heat everything through for 5 minutes.
17. Taste for salt, stir in the parsley and serve in shallow bowls.