Chicken Fricassee with Dumplings (Bisquick Cookbook 1964)

Chicken Fricassee with Dumplings 
(Bisquick Cookbook 1964)

1 stewing chicken (4 to 5 pounds), cut up
1/4 cup fat
2 sprigs parsley
4 celery tops
1 carrot, sliced
1 slice of onion
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dumpling dough

 Brown chicken slowly in fat. Place in kettle with just enough boiling water to cover. Add rest of ingredients except dumplings.  Boil 5 minutes, turn down heat and simmer until tender (2-3 hours).

Make dumplings from basic recipe (below) and drop on simmering stew. Remove dumplings and chicken to platter, keep hot while making gravy (below).  Pour gravy over chicken and dumplings and serve.

8 servings.

Dumplings

2 cups bisquick
3/4 cup milk

Mix thoroughly with fork. Drop by spoonfuls onto boiling stew. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes. Then cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes longer. Liquid should just bubble gently. Makes 10-12 dumplings.

Stew should be boiling when dumplings are dropped; the steam helps them to rise. Drop dough onto meat or vegetables, not into liquid, to avoid absorption of moisture from stew.  

Gravy
Leave chicken broth (about 4 cups) in kettle over low heat.  Skim off excess fat. Mix 1/2 cup Bisquick and 1 cup milk or cold water to a smooth paste. Stir into broth. Cook until thickened (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally. Season to taste.