8-10 qt stock pot.  Place one whole fryer, breast side up in pot.  Salt and
pepper (fresh ground black is best) fryer and add 1/2 - 1 cup of water to
the pot to keep fryer from burning and sticking.  Cover and brown fryer on
medium low heat for about 8 min or so.  Add 21/2 qts water, 6 chicken
bouillon cubes, 2 cans chicken broth, and a stalk or 2 of celery.
 

Cook on low for 20 min, skim scum from top as necessary.  Place heat on
simmer and add about 3 tablespoons of dried parsley, or fresh chopped
equivalent.  Simmer until chicken is tender (1 - 11/2 hrs).  Taste and add
pepper etc. to your specs.  Remove celery and chicken.  Allow chicken to
cool and remove the meat from the bones, cut into bite size pieces and
return to the broth.
 

Dumplings:
 

3 cups farina (not cream of wheat)
1/2 cup flour
12 teaspoon salt
 

Mix the dry ingredients together, add two eggs, blend thoroughly with a
fork.  Add water a little at a time (approximately 1 cup) and using a table
or mixing spoon, stir until mixture resembles something between a  VERY
heavy batter and a very soft dough.  Let rest for 3-5 min.  It will set up
during the resting period.  Using the tip of a teaspoon, drop about 1/2
teaspoonful into the broth, which is almost a simmering boil.  You may need
to use another spoon to help the dumplings off into the broth.  You may need
to increase the heat to keep the broth at a simmer while adding dumplings,
DON'T LET IT BOIL.  The size of the dumplings is your choice but I (LOL)
think smaller ones retain the proper moisture and texture.  When all
dumplings are in the broth, stir carefully once or twice, just to get the
dumplings moving freely in the broth.  Turn the heat to simmer.  Dumplings
will float to the surface as they cook.  Ready to eat in about 5 min.  Test
dumplings after a few min to see if they are done.  They should be firm to
the bite, don't over cook them.
 

Writing this makes me hungry for chicken dumpling soup.  I guess I will have
to settle for Indian food today because we are having the pathology x-mass
lunch/gift exchange today.  The holiday eating season has begun so I will
have to watch how much I eat in order to keep the weight down.  Oh to be a
young squirt again, turned 63 last Sun, and be able to eat/drink all that I
could stuff in and not gain an ounce.
 

OK. hope some of you try out this recipe, it is a simple but tasty dish.
You can use it as a starting point if you have some special spices, extra
veges, etc that you like.  I added a little garlic and hot pepper but my
brother said I was messing up perfection.
 

Lance L.