Chicken and Rolled Dumplings
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 cups, plus extra for rolling
- 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup skim milk, chilled
- 5 to 5 1/2 pound stewing hen, giblets removed
- 7 to 9 cups water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Special equipment: 7-quart pressure cooker
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
- Rub the shortening into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the milk, 1-ounce at a time, just until you have a rough ball of workable dough.
- Knead the dough 3 to 4 times, until it is mostly smooth, but do not overwork.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.
- Roll out each piece of dough, using a floured rolling pin, to a sheet about 1/16-inch thick, on floured piece of waxed paper or parchment paper.
- Cover the dough, still on the waxed paper or parchment, with a tea towel, and dry for at least 8 hours.
- This can be done the night before or early in the morning.
- Two to three hours before the dumplings are ready to cook, put the hen, water, and the remaining tablespoon of salt in a 7-quart pressure cooker.
- Do not fill above the cooker's "maximum fill" line, or 2/3 full.
- Cover and lock the lid.
- Bring to pressure over high heat, approximately 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, so that you barely hear hissing from the pot.
- Cook for 45 minutes.
- Release the pressure using the cooker's release device (read the manual!)
- or cool the cooker by running cold water over the lid for 5 minutes.
- Open carefully.
- Remove the hen from the broth and set aside to cool.
- The meat should be tender and falling away from the bone.
- Once the hen is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones in small pieces, cover and set aside.
- Discard the skin and bones.
- Set a cheesecloth-lined colander in a large container and pour in the broth, discarding the solids.
- Taste and season the broth with additional salt, if needed.
- Return the broth to the pressure cooker, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium to maintain a gentle boil.
- Cut the dough into 1/2-inch wide strips, break into 1 1/2-inch long pieces, and drop into the boiling broth.
- When all the dough has been used, gently push all of the dumplings down into the broth with a slotted spoon.
- Do not stir the dumplings.
- Cook the dumplings until they are cooked through, but not falling apart, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the meat.
- Serve in bowls with freshly ground black pepper.
flour, aluminum, kosher salt, vegetable shortening, milk, stewing hen, water, freshly ground black pepper
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-and-rolled-dumplings-recipe.html (may not work)