Chicken And Drop Dumplings, Texas-Style

• 1 (5-pound) baking hen, cut up
• 2 quarts water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh celery leaves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk

1. Combine first 3 ingredients with 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth; cool. Bone chicken, and cut into bite-size pieces; set aside. Strain broth.
2. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup water, blending well; add to broth in Dutch oven, stirring until smooth. Stir in chicken.
3. Combine remaining flour, salt, and pepper; stir well. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in egg and milk. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Drop dumpling batter by tablespoonfuls into broth mixture, allowing room for expansion. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Repeat procedure with remaining batter.

baking hen, water, celery, salt, pepper, flour, cold water, shortening, egg, milk

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-drop-dumplings-texas-style (may not work)