From left to right: My mother, Modena Nance Jones, Granny Brazel, my great grandmother, Aunt Iva Cecil, in front, me and my little brother Bob. This was taken about 1943.
My family wrote very few recipes down, a few were scribbled on envelopes or napkins, stuck in the back of old cookbooks and some were passed down word of mouth. This recipe is a word of mouth. I used to follow Granny around the kitchen in Harrison, Arkansas and 'help' with her cooking. My little brother Bob, like to eat the raw dough of the dumplings or biscuits. My mother said that raw dough would give him worms, I'm not sure where that came from. To my knowledge, he never got worms.
This was also a popular dish at the Seville Hotel in Harrison, a favorite place to eat Sunday lunch after church.
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Granny Brazel's Chicken'n Dumplings
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1 chicken, cut up
2 quarts water
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoon chicken fat or butter
Flour as needed
Salt and pepper if needed
Chicken broth
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Boil chicken pieces in 2 quarts water. Add salt and pepper. When done, remove chicken and strain broth. Chill for fat to rise to top, or use a pitcher that separates the fat from the broth. Place milk, fat, baking powder, add salt and pepper if needed in medium mixing bowl. While stirring, gradually add flour until ball is formed (as for pie crust dough). Roll out on a floured board to 1/4 inch thick. Cut in strips and drop into boiling broth. Cover and cook until done. Add chicken that has been removed from bones.
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Serves 4
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This is ultimate comfort food, especially for a southerner. If you adjust the fat down to 2 tablespoons of butter, it is not a terribly high calorie dinner.
