I have a family of five, and quite often am I sharing our meals with neighbors. Lots of meals meet the mouths of my biggest critiques, my children. One of my favorite childhood meals is my mother’s southern style chicken and dumplings. No one can make a chicken and dumpling like my momma. I’ve tried a number of times, and it just never replicates. Isn’t that funny? In my many attempts at adulting and making my own meal I came across a happy accident that my family actually didn’t wince at. I admit, I’m not a great cook. Baking is more my thing. But stove top work needs practice. Nonetheless, I will share in an effort to inspire the next mother nurturing her family. My eldest son and my husband are avid hunters. If that’s not your thing, that’s ok, we can still be polite. We are a hunter and homesteading family so you might read things about this often.
Anyway, I digress, we have a freezer full of wild game, chicken, and harvested goods. One thing I have found is to roast the meat (you can boil it too but roasting gives a better flavor) until it is fall off the bone tender. Then you will shred the meat and place in a stock pot or dutch oven. I use my dutch oven often. Add some of the juices from your boil/roast to the pot with the meat and add in chicken broth. I use chicken broth for poultry/fowl and squirrel, I’d think you’d use chicken broth for rabbit or the like as well. For darker meat, like deer, use beef broth. I’ll admit I don’t use darker meats in this. I add in a quart or 2 cans of broth and about 2 cups of water to the meat. Which varies in quantity but usually is a couple cups of shredded meat. Let this simmer a good while (I simmer it 30 minutes or so). During this time you can make your dough, and I will be sharing my biscuit dough recipe later. Add in your spices. Thyme, rosemary, onion, garlic, and clove in whatever quantities you like. I add more of the oven and only do a dash of clove. Then raise the temperature and add in frozen vegetables, bring it back up to a boil. While it’s boiling you can roll out your dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into squares or you can go rogue and rip off pieces. Dust the workspace with flour and each piece with flour as it will help the broth thicken. Drop in each piece of dough into the boiling broth, when they float they are done. I will let it simmer again another ten minutes then remove it from heat and serve.
This has been accepted by my family, and I hope you can take this idea and tweak it to your liking.
Happy Shenanigans