Chicken and Slick Dumplings 

• 1 baking hen (5 pound)
• 2 quarts water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups self‑rising flour
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine chicken, 2 quarts water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender.

If necessary, add water to maintain at least 3 cups broth.  Remove chicken from broth; cool. Bone chicken, and cut into bite-size pieces.

Return chicken pieces to broth, and set aside. [Note: I usually wait until after the dumpling are cooked before returning chicken to broth; this way, the chicken is not overcooked.]

Cut shortening into flour with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add boiling water, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to 1/8-inch thickness, and cut into 1/2 x 3-inch strips.

Bring broth to a boil. Drop dumplings into broth.
Cover immediately; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.  Yield: 6 servings.

From The Southern Heritage Plain and Fancy Poultry Cookbook, 1983, p. 20