Chicken and Parsley Dumplings

For the poached chicken:
1 whole chicken, about 1.5 kilograms, trussed
1 white onion, peeled with a clove stuck in it
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 parsley stems
3 peppercorns
1 teaspoon coarse salt
For the dumplings:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
several grinds of black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup buttermilk, light cream or whole milk
2 eggs

Put the trussed chicken in a large pot and add the vegetables and seasonings. Add 6 to 8 cups of water to bring the water level about 3/4 way up the bird. Bring to a boil, turn down so the liquid is just simmering (fast boiling will dry out the chicken), cover with a tight fitting lid, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the broth and place on a carving board to cool slightly. Strain the broth back into the pot, discarding the vegetables.
Make the dumplings by mixing the dry ingredients and parsley, whisking the eggs into the milk, then lightly stirring all together. Bring the broth to a boil, and with a wet soup spoon drop gobs of batter into the broth. Turn down to a low boil, cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes without peeking.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat discarding the skin and bones. Put the chicken meat in large tureen or high sided serving dish and keep warm in a low oven.
When the dumplings are done, pile them on top of the chicken and pour the broth over all. Serves 6 in warm soup dishes. Steamed sliced carrots, buttered with chopped parsley make a nice accompaniment.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user HOLDINGON2.