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1
Place all ingredients except the celery, cream and dumplings into a large pot, bring to just a boil and reduce heat to a very slow simmer. A bigger chicken will require a little more water.
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2
Cover and simmer very slow for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until chicken is falling apart and a rich broth is produced.
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3
Carefully remove chicken to a platter and allow to cool enough to separate the meat from the bone, cartilage and skin. Be sure to remove all chicken parts from the broth.
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4
Optional-I like to place the bones back into the broth and simmer slowly, covered for another hour then remove or strain broth through a colander, this is optional but will richen the broth.
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5
After making sure all bones and chicken parts are removed from pot, tear chicken meat into course pieces and place back into pot.
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6
Add celery and simmer until the celery is almost done, about 15 or 20 minutes. Add cream and stir.
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7
Make the dumplings, mix dry ingredients, shred potato to 3/4 cup softly packed, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can, add to dry ingredients and mix well with a fork. (I like fairly dense dumplings, for fluffier dumplings add 1 teaspoon more baking powder.).
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8
Add the milk and butter, mix until just blended, sometimes because of the potato I have to add a tablespoon or so of more flour, you want biscuit dough consistency.
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9
Drop by spoonful into the soup, remember they will swell a bit, about double.
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10
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, check the dumplings, you may need additional time for the potato to cook (just 4 or 5 minutes), taste a dumpling, there should be no crunchy raw potato.
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11
If the pot becomes overcrowded with dumplings, stop and place dough covered in the refrigerator, after serving you can replenish the soup with dumplings for seconds or leftovers.
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12
Add ins - 1 cup of diced carrots may be added in right before the celery if wished. 1/2 cup of sweet peas may also be added right before the dumplings, then you have Deluxe Chicken and Dumplings.
