Whistlestop Cafe Chicken And Dumplings - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs chicken, cut up, skin removed
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups sifted self-rising flour
1/2 cup water

Preparation

Place the chicken in a large, 2 1/2 quart saucepan. Add 6 cups water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very tener. Remove from broth and let cool. Reserve the broth.
When chicken has cooled off, remove the meat from the bones and dice.
Next, add milk and margarine to the broth. Bring to a simmer.
TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS: Cut the shortening into the flour, using a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/2 cup water and stir with a fork, just until dough leaves side of bowl. For rolled dumplings roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 x 1/2-inch strips or 2-inch squares. For dropped dumplings, pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Pinch off dough to 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Gradually drop dumplings, one at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Cover, reduce heat and boil gently for 15 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in chicken and heat through.