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1
Put the hen, breast side down, in a very large (8-quart) stockpot and add water to within 2 inches of the top of the pot; this will vary according to the size of your pot, but the hen should float clear of the bottom of the pot and be covered completely.
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2
Add the salt and pepper.
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3
Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer.
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4
Cover the pot and cook for 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender and the drumstick joint twists easily.
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5
Allow the chicken and broth to cool slightly, and then remove the chicken to a colander.
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6
Strain the broth into a very large bowl.
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7
Cover the broth and place it in the refrigerator.
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8
When the fat solidifies on the top of the broth, remove and discard it.
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9
Remove the chicken from the bones and cut or shred the meat by hand into small pieces.
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10
Set aside 2 cups and refrigerate or freeze the rest for another use.
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11
(Leftover broth may also be frozen in individual containers to be used another time.)
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12
To make the dumplings, heat 2 quarts of the defatted chicken broth in a 3-quart saucepan.
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13
While it heats, put the flour in a medium bowl.
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14
Dissolve the salt in the water and stir the mixture into the flour to make a stiff dough.
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15
Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
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16
Divide it into 4 parts.
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17
Heavily flour a rolling pin.
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18
Roll one portion of the dough very thin.
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19
With a very sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2 x 4-inch strips.
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20
When the broth reaches a rolling boil, add the strips of dough.
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21
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and roll out another portion of dough, cut it into strips, and drop them into the broth.
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22
Continue preparing each portion of the dough and adding the strips in this manner.
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23
Always raise the heat to bring the broth back to a rolling boil before dropping in more dough strips, and then reduce the heat to simmer before covering the pot again.
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24
Sprinkle in the salt and pepper to taste.
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25
Add the 2 cups of cooked chicken and cover the pan.
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26
Simmer for 15 minutes.
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27
My mom would drape the dough strips over her fingers as she transferred the pieces to the broth.
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28
It was fun for me, many years later, to allow my grandchildren to handle the dough the same way.
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29
Many cookbooks assume we all know the basics of cooking, and instructions for boiling a hen, like youll find in this recipe, are seldom included.
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30
When I first moved away from home and started asking my mom for recipes, I needed her help with everything from boiling corn on the cob to making chicken broth from scratch.
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31
If I dont use all the broth from a hen in the recipe Im making, or if Im just cooking the chicken to use in a salad, I save the broth and freeze it for the future.
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32
Canned chicken broth is good, but homemade is always better!
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33
A hen is a mature chicken that produces eggs.
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34
A fryer is a younger, more tender chicken.
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35
Using a hen for chicken stock gives you a richer broth, because hens have more fat than fryers.
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36
Mama taught me that!
