Tastes Like Chicken!

Ingredients

• 2 (2-lb) chickens, halved
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 T chicken stock base or 2 bouillon cubes
• 1/4 C butter or margarine
• 1 C flour
• 1 oz sherry
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• MSG (optional)
• Salt
• Yellow food color (optional)
• 1 C hot cooked peas
• MODERN DUMPLINGS (2026 addition; not in the original ingredient list):
• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour (additional to the 1 C flour above, used for thickening)
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 C milk (approximately)

Instructions

1. Place chickens in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to boil. Simmer until tender.
2. Remove chickens and set aside. Return backbones to pan with vegetables and simmer 30 minutes.
3. Add stock base. Strain and reserve stock.
4. Melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Add to reserved stock and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add sherry and lemon juice. Season with MSG, salt, and food color to taste.
6. MODERN KITCHEN NOTES (2026 addition; not part of the original cookbook): The original directions stop after thickening and seasoning the broth; the following supplies the missing dumpling method.
7. After the cooked chickens are cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones, discard skin and bones, and cut or shred the meat. Return the chicken meat to the seasoned broth. Stir in the cooked peas and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
8. To make the modern dumplings, combine the additional 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Rub or cut in 2 tablespoons cold butter until crumbly. Stir in about 3/4 cup milk just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms; do not overmix.
9. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the gently simmering chicken mixture, leaving space between them. Cover tightly and simmer gently without lifting the lid for about 15–18 minutes, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through (not doughy in the center).
10. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle the chicken, vegetables, broth and dumplings into bowls. If the broth has become too thick from the original 1 cup flour, thin it gradually with hot water or unsalted stock before adding the dumplings.