Vintage: Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

When my grandmother gave me this recipe, she told me to make the dumplings using two half-egg shells of water. Really?  Which end of the egg? What size of egg?  Through experimentation, I figured out it is about a 1/3 cup of water.  And the dumplings, in her version, are more like thick noodles. She told me to make it a day ahead, because it’s always taste better the next day…like most soups.  This comfort food is filled with memories of cozy snowy nights and the hope of no school tomorrow.

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups flour

2 eggs

2 half-egg shells of water, or 1/3 cup

Dash of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup diced cook chicken

In a large stock pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Meanwhile, place the flour in a medium size mixing bowl and make a small hole in the center of the flour.  Break the eggs into the flour hole; add the water and the salt.  With your fingers, work the egg mixture into the flour making a sticky dough.  Place a third of the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out.  Cut the dough with a sharp knife into 1/4 inch strips.  Place the strips, one at a time, into the boiling broth.  Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Add the cooked chicken to the pot.  Boil the noodles/dumplings for 15 minutes. Let the chicken and dumplings cool and refrigerate for a day.  Serves 6.