Connie's Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Place the chicken into a large soup pot and pour in the water. Add salt and 2 tablespoons butter bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer the chicken until the meat is very tender 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the chicken from the stock and allow the chicken and stock to cool. Separate the chicken meat from the skin and bones and chop the meat into bite-size pieces. Strain chicken stock through a wire mesh strainer into a large pot; set aside.

Bring all but 2/3 cup of the reserved chicken stock to a boil over medium heat. In a separate saucepan bring 2/3 cup of chicken stock to a boil. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 4 teaspoons of butter and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Beat in the flour to form a slightly sticky dough.

Remove dough to a well-floured surface and roll to desired thickness. Knead in more flour if dough is too sticky. Cut the dough into strips about 4 inches long; drop dumplings into the boiling chicken stock. Reduce heat to low and simmer the dumplings until tender about 10 minutes. Stir 1 more tablespoon of butter into the stock to add richness if desired; return chopped chicken meat to the pan. Stir in evaporated milk; simmer until chicken meat is hot.