Categories: Casseroles- One Dish Meals- Stir Fry- Pot Pies

Ingredients

• 1 hen or broiler (hens have more flavor)
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• Spice bouquet of 1 tsp. dried tarragon, q tsp. fresh rosemary, and 1 garlic bud, peeled and crushed
• Dumplings:
• 4 cups plain flour
• 1 cup ice water
• Crust:
• 1 cup plain flour
• Plain flour nest remaining from dumplings
• 1 cup ice- water
• 1/2 stick butter

Directions

1. If using a frozen hen, place in refrigerator in its package and thaw overnight. Remove from wrap and wash bird in cool water. Discard giblets (or save for another use), flush out cavity with tap water and drain. Cut away large visible fat, oil sack area, tail and wing tips.

2. Rub cavity of chicken with salt. Place hen in a large stock pot (preferably with basket) and cover with tap water. Heat on medium until boiling. (Do not rush with high heat; skin may separate and break up.)

3. Lower the heat and allow hen to simmer 2 1/2 hours or until meat and bones are soft. If using a pot with no basket, the hen may be gently shifted in pot to prevent sticking. Don’t stir.

4. If needed, replace evaporated water with hot water.

5. Hen is tender when meat falls away from bones.

6. Simmer another hour on low.

7. Remove from heat and discard bouquet.

8. Remove dark foam around broth line in container.

9. Allow hen to cool while emerged in the broth.

10. Place large colander in pan and drain hen. Save broth. Remove and discard skin.

11. Gently debone hen and set aside bones. Separate breast from dark meat. Return bones to fresh cooking container and cover with water, bring to boil, lower heat. Simmer 1 hour. Drain and discard bones. Save broth again. Freeze extra broth.

12. If making pie for two, heat 1 1/2 quarts of broth. Lower heat to medium.

13. Dumplings:

14. Sift flour into mixing bowl. Make nest in center and fill with ice water. Using tips of fingers, pinch enough flour into water to form a ball.

15. Leave thin nest in bottom of mixing bowl. Wrap dough in plastic and chill in freezer 5 to 10 minutes.

16. Roll dough thin (1/4 inch) on floured surface. Cut dumplings 3/4-incn wide, 12-inch long, and pull each dumpling a little thinner as adding to broth.

17. Drop dumplings one at a time in the exact spot where broth is boiling. (This keeps dumplings from sticking together.) If broth stops bubbling, gently move dumplings around, increase heat, and wait until broth is boiling again before adding additional dumplings. Lower heat and one by one, add remaining dumplings.

18. When making a huge pie, first batch of dumplings will need to be removed from cooker after 15 minutes less they over cook and become sticky. Repeat with new cooker of broth. Make dumplings until desired amount is achieved.

19. Remove from heat and add 1 cup chopped meat. If too dry, add additional broth.

20. Place id on pot and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

21. Check moister. If dumplings are dry, add up to 1 cup hot broth.

22. Adjust seasoning. Move chicken and dumplings to serving container.

23. Crust:

24. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

25. Sift 1 cup plain flour on top of plain flour remaining in mixing bowl nest. Add 1/2 cup ice water. Repeat process for making dumplings.

26. Form small ball, wrap in plastic, and chill in freezer for 8 minutes.

27. Select container for pie. Roll crust 1/4 inch thick, invert container on crust. cut around edge.

28. Butter baking sheet and carefully roll cut dough on to rolling pin, place in center of baking sheet, dot with butter and bake 15 minutes or until brown.

29. Place baked crust over pie by sliding it into place. A little broth may be added to crust edges to soften it enough to fit the dish.

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