Chicken and dumplings

The Asian market had stewing hens at a good price so I cooked one in the Instant pot pressure cooker with some vegetables loosely using the recipes below.

CHICKEN STOCK

1 onion, peeled and stuck with 3 cloves

1 carrot, scraped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of parsley

1 tsp. dried thyme

6 peppercorns

3 qts. water

1 tbsp. salt

Put the chicken pieces, vegetables, garlic, herbs, peppercorns, and water in a deep 8-quart pot and bring to a boil.  After 5 minutes, skim off the scum that forms on the surface with a wire skimmer or large spoon.  Continue to boil rapidly for 15 minutes, skimming, reduce the heat; cover the pot and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Season with salt to taste- about 1 tablespoon.  Strain the broth through a sieve lined with several thicknesses of cheesecloth into a large bowl and cool thoroughly in the refrigerator. Save the gizzards if you like them for eating. Discard the rest of the vegetables and chicken parts.  When the stock is cold, remove the layer of fat that has formed on the surface.  You should have 2 1/2 quarts of stock.

DOUBLE CHICKEN BROTH

Put the cold, fat free stock in an 8 qt. Pan with a whole stewing fowl or roasting chicken weighing 4 to 5 pounds.  Bring slowly to a boil, skim off any scum that forms on the surface; reduce the heat; cover and simmer gently until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour for a young chicken, 2-2 1/2 hours for a fowl.  Remove the chicken and either serve it as poached chicken or remove the skin and take off the bones and use the meat for salad, hash, chicken pie or creamed chicken.

Strain the broth through a cheesecloth and skim off the fat. You now have 2 quarts of beautifully rich, strong broth to use for cooking.

OLD- FASHIONED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Follow the recipe for poached chicken in double chicken broth (above). While the chicken is cooking, make up the dumplings, which will be added for the last 15 minutes of cooking time.

DUMPLINGS                                                      

2 C. sifted all-purpose flour                                   

3 teaspoons baking powder                    

1 teaspoon salt                                         

2 eggs

2/3 C. milk

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Beat the eggs and milk together lightly and blend with the flour mixture to make fairly stiff dough.  About 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the lid from the pot in which the chicken is cooking and drop rounded tablespoons of the dumpling dough over the surface of the liquid, spacing them a few inches apart to allow room for them to puff up. Cover the pan, keeping the liquid at a simmer, and cook the dumplings for 15 minutes, until light and cooked through.  Do not remove the lid while the dumplings are cooking.  Serve with poached chicken.

dumplings ll stir toghether dry ingr. cut in fat, add milk & stir until sticky