6-8 chicken hindquarters (thighs and legs, no white meat!)
enough water or broth to cover chicken
1 tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 tbsp. original Mrs. Dash
granulated chicken bouillon, to taste
salt-free lemon pepper, to taste

Dumplings:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
skimmed fat from broth
enough of the chicken broth to make batter

Cut skin-on hindquarters apart and place in large pot with water/broth, poultry seasoning and Mrs. Dash. Boil until chicken separates easily from the bone and is done all the way through. Remove and cool, then remove skin and bones and discard. Skim the fat from the broth and set aside.

Return boned chicken to broth, adjust seasoning with more poultry seasoning, Mrs. Dash, lemon pepper, and chicken bouillon for saltiness if desired, and then bring back to a rolling boil. Under-salting is preferable, as broth might concentrate a bit while cooking. You can always add more if needed.

While the chicken mixture is reheating, in another bowl, mix flour, buttermilk and 1/2 cup (more if you like them rich) chicken fat together. Add a bit of the chicken broth from the pot to make a dough that is soft but will hold its shape. Depending on humidity, you might need to adjust with more flour to get the right consistency.

Drop the dough by spoonfuls into the boiling chicken broth. Using a second spoon to help the dough drop works well. Once all the dough has been added, cover and lower heat, simmering for about ten minutes, until broth has thickened and dumplings are done. Be sure to stir up from the bottom of the pot occasionally.

Submitted by: Catherine Rosenman