Grandma Alma’s Chicken And Dumplings

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GRANDMA ALMA’S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
Recipe courtesy Catherine Cora

Chicken:
1 (3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, with skin removed and cut up
6 plus 1-1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

White Sauce (Bechamel):
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons of butter (or margarine)
1 cup flour,sifted
6 cups chicken broth (from cooking the chicken)
1 cup water
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Dumplings:
6 tablespoons baking powder
3 cups flour, sifted
3 tablespoons of chicken fat
1 cup milk
Salt, to taste

Take the skin from the chicken and put in a pan with 1/4 cup of water and render. Put the chicken in a pot and cover with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Pull the chicken from the broth and let cool. When the skin has been rendered, strain and cool until the fat has solidified. Bring the broth that is left from cooking the chicken to a light boil and add the milk, oleo, pepper and salt. Whisk in the sifted flour until the broth has thickened. Dice the chicken and add to the white sauce and let simmer. Mix the baking powder, flour, chicken fat, milk and salt in a bowl and mix. Put out onto a floured surface and knead until completely blended. Roll out thin (1/2-inch) and cut into 1 to 2 inch squares. Add to the white sauce and chicken, do not stir until the dough is set (cooked), cover and let cook for 20 minutes before stirring. Check seasoning and serve.

Fried Pickles:
1 cup self-rising flour or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 jar sliced dill pickles (hamburger pickles)
4 cups vegetable or canola oil, to fry
1 cup buttermilk
Salt, to taste

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a bowl. Drain the pickles. Heat the canola oil on medium high heat. Dip the pickles in buttermilk and coat with the flour/cornmeal mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Transfer to paper napkins to drain. Season with salt and serve.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings as a side

Yield: 4 servings