Chicken with Dumplings / Pui cu galuste

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Slice the onion, chop the celery, and peel and quarter the garlic.
3. Add the chicken, 1 tsp salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, olive oil, and parsley to the boiling water.

4. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce by about one third.
5. When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside.
6. Strain the stock to remove vegetables and foam. Throw away everything except the chicken and chicken stock.

7. Pour 6 cups of the stock back into the pot or a large saucepan. Add pepper, ½ tsp salt, and lemon juice. Reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.
8. For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 ¼ tsp salt, butter and milk in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth, then let rest for 5-10 minutes.
9. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about a ½ inch thickness.

10. Cut the dough into ½ inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all of the dough. The dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy.
11. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until thick stirring often.

12. Continue to simmer the chicken and dumplings for another 5-10 minutes, but don’t stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred and fall apart.
13. When gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plate and serve hot. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: Leftover chicken stock can be frozen and used in future recipes