Best Grandma Ratliffs Chicken Dumplings Recipes

GRANDMA'S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix flour and shortening together in a bowl until it resembles cornmeal.
• Slightly beat egg and milk together in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir to form a ball of dough. Place onto a floured surface; knead and roll as thin as possible using a floured rolling pin. Let dough stand for 2 hours.
• Place chicken into a large pot and add water to just cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil until chicken is no longer pink in the center and meat falls off of the bone, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove chicken from the pot; strain broth and return to the pot. Add 2 cups water and bouillon. Remove meat from bones and return to broth. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Bring to a boil; continue to boil for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut dough into strips, approximately 1-inch wide. Tear strips and drop into boiling broth. Continue to boil for 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Generously season chicken with salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven, combine chicken stock, 4 cups water, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat Add the leg portions and the backbone of the chicken to the Dutch oven. Place the breasts, skin side down, on top of the legs. Reduce heat to just below a simmer. Cover partially, and cook, making sure the stock mixture does not come to a simmer, until breasts are cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove breasts, and set aside. Continue cooking legs until very tender and meat begins to pull away from the bone, 30 to 40 minutes more. Remove chicken and vegetables, reserving liquid. Discard vegetables and set chicken aside until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg, oil, 3 tablespoons cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in flour until well combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• When chicken has cooled, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from bones and tear into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces; set aside.
• Turn dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Roll out dough until it is about 1/16-inch thick. Cut dough into 1 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles. Bring reserved stock mixture to a boil over high heat, and season with salt. Add dough rectangles to boiling liquid, shaking pot as necessary, but not stirring. Cook until, dough is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved chicken and reduce to a simmer. Add sliced egg, butter, and heavy cream; season with pepper. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat and cover; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving in shallow bowl.

GRANDMOTHER'S CHICKEN 'N' DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add water, vinegar and salt (adding more water, if necessary, to cover chicken). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat nearly falls from the bones. Remove chicken from broth; allow to cool. Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings. , Remove meat from bones; discard skin and bones. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside and keep warm. Set aside 1 cup broth; cool to lukewarm., To make dumplings, combine flour and salt. Make a well in flour; add egg. Gradually stir 1/4 cup reserved broth into egg, picking up flour as you go. Continue until flour is used up, adding additional broth as needed, and dough is consistency of pie dough. Pour any remaining reserved broth back into stockpot. , Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead in additional flour to make a stiff dough. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 17-in. square. Cut into 1-in. square pieces. Dust with additional flour; let dry for 30-60 minutes. , Bring broth to a boil (you should have about 4 quarts). Drop dumplings into boiling broth. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until a until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmering), about 10 minutes. Uncover; add reserved chicken. Stir in pepper.

OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water, and add whole chicken. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer until tender, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Remove chicken from broth, and set aside to cool. Reserve broth. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones; cut into bite size pieces. Discard skin and bones.
• In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Break one egg into flour, and stir with fork till stiff. Continue adding eggs one at a time until all are incorporated. The dough should be very stiff.
• Bring broth to a boil. Add bouillon cubes; stir until cubes have dissolved.
• Using a fork and knife, pick up dough on fork. Hold over boiling broth, and cut off small pieces into broth until all the dough has been used. Stir, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add chicken meat, and stir. Serve hot.