1 2-3 lb. chicken
Enough water to cover chicken in pot
1 onion, cut in half
Dry herbs (whatever you would like to season your stock with)
2 bay leaves
3 Allspice kernels
Salt and pepper
In a large stockpot, place the whole chicken in the pot and fill with enough water to cover. Wash the onion with the skin, cut in half, and add to pot. (Leaving the skin on the onion gives color to the broth) Add the 2 bay leaves and allspice kernels, dry herbs, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and simmer for about an hour and a half. Afterwards, take chicken out of the pot, strain the broth, discarding the onion, bay leaves and allspice. Reserve broth. Allow chicken to cook. Once cool, pull meat off the bones and reserve meat.
For Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons butter
a little less than 1 cup milk
2 quarts of chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken
This is where it gets fun. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and butter with your hands untin incorporated, similiar to how you would make a pie crust. Then add the milk and stir until well blended. On a well floured (the flour will later thicken your stock, so don't be shy) surface, roll out dough. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough into 2x2 inch squares. You could probably also use some small cookie cutters if you wanted. Bring the chicken broth to a rolling boil. Then drop the dumplings in one at a time (this is to avoid them sticking). Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15-20 minutes until done. You can test a dumpling and see if its cooked all the way. Then, add the reserved chicken and cook until the chicken is warmed through. Its now ready to serve!
Next time I plan on making the chicken stock well ahead of time, then refrigerate, so all the fat rises to the top of the container and solidifies. I will then use the chicken fat to help make the dumplings. I know this will make it more fattening; however, sometimes for me, taste usurps health :)
