My Cub Scouts den mother turned me on to this traditional Southern delight when I was only knee-high to a grasshopper. Something this sinfully good should be a lot harder to make.

Ingredients

7 lbs of cut-up chicken pieces

4 cups of chicken stock

2 onions, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3 teaspoons of salt

1 egg

¼ cup of milk

1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

1 cup of water

½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

To Make Chicken: Place the chicken pieces in a large pot, and add celery, onion, chicken stock, and two teaspoons of salt. Partially cover and simmer on medium low heat, about 20 minutes (until chicken is tender).

To Make Dumplings: Beat egg and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, baking powder, and one teaspoon of salt, and mix. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Mix in one tablespoon of parsley. Drop dumpling mixture in six large spoonfuls on top of the simmering chicken. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

For Gravy: Remove chicken and dumplings to a large bowl, and then cover and set aside. Strain the remaining stock (in the pot), making sure to press out any remaining vegetable liquid. Place the stock back into the pot. Combine water with the remaining flour, and stir in the strained stock. Bring to a boil. Stir constantly to thicken in. Put the chicken and dumplings back in the pot, and gently combine. Serve with the remaining parsley.