Chicken and Dumplings

And another...

Easy Chicken & Dumplings
Soup Ingredients

6 cups Organic Chicken Stock
3 stalks Celery, diced finely
2 large Carrots, diced finely
1/2 large Onion (I used Vidalia), diced fine
3 Organic Free Range Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 tablespoon Bouquet Garni
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Put stock in a large pot. Add diced vegetables. Rinse chicken breasts with water and add them directly to the pot to poach. Add Bouquet Garni and salt & pepper to taste.

Simmer on medium heat for 30-45 minutes, until chicken breasts are cooked through. Remove chicken from pot to a large plate. Shred chicken apart using two forks to pull. When all chicken has been shredded, add it directly back to the pot.

Cook the dumplings as directed below.

Basic Dumplings
From the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion

Dumpling Ingredients

1 cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Milk or Half & Half

Directions

Mix flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, cut in the cold butter until you form pebbles that resemble course meal or cracker crumbs. Add the milk, stirring until just combined. There will be lumps.

Drop the dough into the simmering soup by teaspoon or tablespoonfuls (your choice on size of dumplings) and cook for 10 minutes uncovered. Cover the soup and simmer for 10-12 minutes more, until the dumplings are cooked through.