This recipe became a favorite during our first year of marriage and our seminary days in Fort Worth, Texas. I found the recipe in a cookbook given to me by my sweet mother-in-law. She was always concerned about how well we were eating in our first few years of marriage. One night in our small, one bedroom apartment, I had a desire to surprise my husband with a new dish. I can even remember going to a friend's house across the street for the egg this recipe requires. This recipe has been made many times since that night. It has been taken to church potlucks and passed on to friends. As the family multiplies...so does the recipe. The original recipe did not include the chicken, but this is the way we have always enjoyed it. Below is the original recipe (with a few added directions). I double it for our young family of five.
Chicken and Dumplings
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
pepper to taste
milk or water to make paste
cooked chicken
chicken broth
Boil cooked chicken and broth in a large stock pot.
In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Add slightly beaten egg and milk or water to make a doughy paste. The consistency should appear wet but thick enough to drop by teaspoonfuls into boiling broth.
Drop by teaspoon into boiling broth. The dough will sink at first and then rise to the top of the broth. I usually lower the temperature and cook mine until the broth thickens. Be attentive and stir frequently or it may stick to the bottom of the pan as it thickens.
The original recipe suggested adding the dumplings to pinto beans cooked with lots of juice. I have yet to try that variation.
