Just wanted to share this family recipe for chicken n dumplings. I don't have an actual recipe. I just make them the way I was taught.
What you will need
1 Whole Chicken
2 or 3 Celery stalks
2 or 3 Bay leaves
1 or 2 cans of chicken broth
Flour, milk, oil (for the dumplings)
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Boil the chicken whole for approx 1-1.5 hours. Pull out of the pot and set aside to cool slightly, just enough so you can handle it. Leave the liquid from boiling the chicken in the pot!! This is your broth!
2. Pull all the meat off the chicken and shred it, put it back in the pot. Dice your celery and throw that in there as well. Add 1 or 2 cans of broth, depending on how much liquid you have in the pot already. Throw in the bay leaves.
3. Make biscuit dough. You can also do this while the chicken is boiling to save time. I use Marth White's Hot Rize biscuit recipe because it is super simple!
http://www.marthawhite.com/Recipes/Detail.aspx?RecipeID=2476
Instead of rolling the dough out like you are making biscuits just make a big ball and pull off chunks that are about 1/2 inch big and roll those into balls. Make sure the pot is at a rolling boil before throwing the dumplings in or they will all stick together. Throw them in a few at a time. The liquid will thicken from the flour in the dumplings. Let cook at least 45 minutes, or longer if you prefer.
Hope that makes sense! It sounds difficult but they are SO easy and delicious! I serve them with a nice green side like buttery garlic spinach and cornbread. I also vary it a little and make chicken noodle soup by adding onions, carrots, garlic, thyme and egg noodles.