Chicken and Dumpling

4 to 5 pound whole chicken

1 med yellow onion diced

5 bay leaves

6 Tablespoons butter

1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Put the chicken, onion, bay leaves, butter, salt and pepper in large soup pot or Dutch oven

Add enough water to cover, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and partially cover, gently simmer chicken until done and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.

Remove from pot, when cool, pull meat from the bones, set aside. discard skin, bones and scraps. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves

3 cups all purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper (we like a lot of pepper so I use more)

half cup of vegetable oil

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water

2 large eggs beaten

heavy cream and corn starch to thicken the chicken stock after dumplings are cooked

Start to bring the chicken stock back to a boil while you are making the dumplings

Put all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisk to blend.

Add water and eggs, mix thoroughly, then add oil (it is very important the oil is added last or you get little hard bits in the flour mix)

Stir just enough combine, then turn out of floured surface and knead by hand until evenly mixed

divide dough in half on floured surface and working with one half at a time, roll out into a thin rectangle, about a 1/4 inch thick , I use a pizza cutter and cut in 3/4 in wide strips, the cut cross-ways 1 inch Each dumpling should be about 3/4 in by 1 inch

Add to boiling chicken stock, then do the other half of the dough

Add the chicken back to the pot

Make a slurry of corn starch and heavy cream , add slowly to the boiling pot of chicken and dumplings to thicken the sauce, cook about another 15 to 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally to prevent sticking

I don’t really measure the cornstarch and heavy cream, (sorry) I just mix it in a small container until no lumps remain and add slowly to the pot. stirring as I go.