Simple Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (2-2.5 kg) with skin, cut into 8 pieces, including the neck
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter + 1 tbsp.
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 tbsp of water
• 6 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 5-6 fresh sprigs of thyme + 1 tbsp chopped leaves
• A small bunch of parsley + 1 tbsp chopped leaves
• 2 fresh sprigs of sage + 1 tbsp chopped leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 stalk celery, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 2 - 3 cups premium flour + 1 tbsp.
• 1 tbsp coarse salt + more to taste
• Additional equipmentkitchen string

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup butter; lightly sauté the onion and garlic, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, water, and broth, making sure the liquid completely covers the chicken. Tie the thyme sprigs, parsley stems, and sage sprigs together and add to the pan along with the peppercorns and celery. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the chicken until the meat is almost falling off the bone, about 30 minutes, skimming off any foam.
2. Remove the chicken from the pan to a cutting board and let cool. Remove the greens and celery and discard. Set the broth aside. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour with the remaining chopped herbs and 1 tablespoon of salt. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, including the fat. Slowly mix the broth into the flour with a fork. Repeat, adding more flour and/or broth until you have a loose dough. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 5 x 5 cm squares, then cut the squares in half diagonally to create triangles.
5. Bring the broth back to a simmer and carefully lower the dumplings into the pan, leaving some of the flour on them to thicken the soup slightly. Be careful not to let the dumplings touch when adding them to the broth. Cook until the dough floats to the surface. If the broth isn't thick enough, whisk 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl with a fork. Gradually whisk the mixture into the broth to help thicken the soup. Stir in the reserved chicken and ladle the soup into bowls.