Chicken And Dumplings

Ingredients:

one cut up chicken
salt
black pepper
butter
plain flour
ice water

Directions:

You will need a rolling pin and a floured surface.

Broth:

Wash and place the cut up chicken in Dutch Oven with plenty of water to boil. Add salt to boiling chicken (to taste), black pepper and a stick of butter. Make sure there is enough water in pot to create ample broth for dumplings.

When chicken is tender and well done, remove from bone. Remove bones from broth leaving chicken meat in broth; turn onto simmer while you prepare dumplings.

Dumplings:

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt mixed into flour
Ice water (stir enough into flour mixture to make a stiff dough)

Place on the floured surface and knead, making sure the dough is stiff. Roll out with floured rolling pin until very thin, about 1/8 inch. It make take some elbow grease, but the results are well worth it!

Cut into 1 inch strips and let it dry for a few minutes. It should be partially covered with flour.

Meanwhile, turn up the chicken and broth; slowly drop the long dumplings into the boiling broth. As they cook they will become somewhat stiff; that's what you want.

When enough dumplings have been added to broth, (you may not need them all) and don't add too many because they have to boil and cook.

It's ok if some flour drops into pot with dumplings. The temperature should not be any higher than medium and as dumplings cook it will need to be turned down more. Place lid on pot and cook until dumplings began to change and become somewhat translucent. You will know when they are done because they will thicken.