Ingredients
Chicken:
1 large fryer chicken (4-5 lbs.), neck and gizzards removed
1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
3 carrots, cut into large pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Dumplings:
3 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tbsp. shortening*
1 cup milk
*I imagine you could use butter, but I haven’t tried it. I’ve never been a fan of shortening, but I stuck to the recipe because I didn’t want to mess with its “right”-ness. You know Cracker Barrel and Southern grandmas aren’t afraid of using shortening.
Instructions
Place the chicken, onions, carrots, and celery in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water maintains a gentle simmer. Cook chicken for 1 hour or until cooked through (about 165 degrees). While the chicken is cooking you can skip to Step 4 and start making the dumplings or you can wait until the chicken is fully cooked.
Once the chicken is done, remove from the broth and let cool. Remove chicken from the bone (this shouldn’t be hard, it should be falling off pretty easily at this point) and shred into medium-sized pieces, discarding bones and skin.
