Farmer Boy Recipe for "National Poultry Day"

National Poultry Day is celebrated on March 19th!  Here is a recipe that could make you join in the celebration!  It is one that was handed down in my family for generations, with little variations.  I'm not sure who, in my family, was the first to prepare this meal, but I'm glad they all decided to pass it on!  The only changes that I could note, throughout the generations, were the so-called improvements made by using more "modern" cooking techniques or more readily available foods.  I have, in fact, made such adjustments to the original - as I'll explain in the directions.  I hope you'll enjoy this recipe!

The greatest challenge I had was deciding what to name the recipe; as the variations were made over the years.  Let's just say it started as "Chicken with Dumplings", but as vegetables were added, it became "Chicken Stew".  But I prefer to call it:

Farmer Boy Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients:

3 lbs. - Chicken parts (you can use any parts you'd like! - I prefer legs & thighs - but most of my family's recipes used either whole cut-up chickens or different parts than I use)

3 Tablespoons of oil (Peanut works best, followed by Olive Oil)

4 - 6 Carrots, washed & cut in half (or a dozen baby carrots)

1 yellow onion, cut into wedges

4 ribs of celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning

salt & pepper

For the Dumplings: (This is something in the recipe that has really changed over the years! The oldest recipe I found, showed them as noodles. Others showed something that amounted to a drop biscuit.  But this is what I've ended up with.)

1 cup of mashed potatoes (you can use prepared, firm, instant potatoes)

1 cup of Bisquick (or other mix)

1 teaspoon of chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon of chopped chives (optional)

Directions: In a large stock pot, put enough oil to brown up the chicken. After the chicken is browned, cover it with enough water by 2 - 3 inches.  Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes.

Remove the chicken, keeping it covered in another pan.  Skin and de-bone, when it is cool enough to work with.

While the chicken is resting, place the veggies into the pot of hot water and continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour.  Before returning the chicken to the pot, while it is boiling, add about 1 - 2 Tablespoons of flour or corn starch, to thicken.

Season the chicken with the poultry seasoning & salt & pepper to taste, then place it back into the pot and cook an additonal 1/2 hour.

While the pot is simmering, mix the potatoes with the parsley & chives.  (If the potatoes are too dry, add a few drops of water - it should be the consistency of a loose paste.) Next, roll the potatoes into a ball, the size of a ping-pong ball.  Then roll the balls in the Bisquick.  Spoon this mixture, by Tablespoon full, onto the top of the cooking chicken & veggies. (Make sure it is boiling.) Cook for about 10 minutes. (The dumplings will puff up! They should become light, like biscuits.)

Serve warm.  I like to dish it up in a large soup bowl, topping the chicken & veggies with the dumplings.



This is one of my favorite meals, I hope it will become a favorite to you as well!  If you make it, please leave a comment here for all of us to enjoy. Thanks.  And while you're at it, if you haven't signed up as a follower of my blog, take care of doing that!  And if you would, please tell others about my blog. Thanks!

Happy National Poultry Day!

"To me, it is a joy that 'No man knoweth what a day may bring forth,' and that life is a journey from one discovery to another." Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Old Man in the Bib Overalls