6 Chicken pieces or

1 sm Whole chicken skin removed

3 qt Water

1 Onion finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves

minced or pressed 2 Celery stalks fine chopped

1 To 2 carrots finely chopped

2 tb Cornstarch dissolved in

1/3 c Cold water (opt'l.)

2 Rosemary sprigs, 3" each

DUMPLINGS 3 Fresh rosemary sprigs

3" each 1 1/4 c Water

2 c Buttermilk biscuit mix

Add chicken to the water in a stockpot and bring to a boil; simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove chicken to a plate to cool. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots to the stock; bring to a simmer. Cut or tear chicken into 2" pieces; return it to the stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are very tender. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the stock, if you like a thick sauce. To make dumplings and while vegetables are cooking, bring to a boil 1 1/4 cups water in a small pan. Turn off the heat and add three sprigs of rosemary. Cover; let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the rosemary tea and mix with about 2 cups of biscuit mix, slightly more if mixture is very gooey. Bring the chicken stock back to a low boil; drop scant teaspoons of dumpling batter into the bubbles. Gently push each dumpling aside with a spoon to keep dumplings from clumping together. Add two more rosemary sprigs. Lower heat, cover, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

Recipe from Nancy Brewer/New Orleans, Louisiana. In "Kitchen Table: Where Herbs and Spices Make a Difference" column in "The Herb Companion." Dec. 93/Jan. 94, Vol. 6, Number 2. Pg. 82. Posted by Cathy

Harned.