[lvdkeyes]

Tonight's dinner was chicken and dumplings.

Chicken and Dumplings

Serves 6 to 8
• 6 to 8 carrots, peeled
• 6 ribs celery
• 2 3-pound chickens, cut into 8 pieces, and rinsed well
• 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 6 fresh chives
• 1 6-inch sprig fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas or green beans



• Coarsely chop half of the carrots and celery and add to a 6-quart saucepan with a tight fitting lid along with chicken, parsley, chives, rosemary, garlic, onion, bay leaf, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add 12 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until chicken begins to fall off the bones, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat and let cool 1 hour.
• Remove chicken and strain broth into a large bowl. Discard bones, skin, carrots, celery, and herbs. Coarsely chop chicken; set aside half of the chicken and reserve any remaining chicken for another use. Cut remaining 3 carrots and 3 ribs of celery into 1/2-inch pieces. Return broth to 6-quart saucepan and place over high heat, add chopped carrots and celery; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
You can thicken the broth a little with a flour and broth slurry.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender or fork. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg. Add to flour and butter mixture and stir until a moist dough forms.
• Using a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of dough into the simmering broth and cover. Cook until dumplings are cooked through and a skewer inserted comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in reserved chicken, peas, or green beans, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.