Chincoteague Pot Pie

From the Storybook Cookbook

Ingredients

Parsley
1 carrot
celery leaves
(the above is optional)
1 two pound chicken cut into pieces
salt
pepper
2 cups sifted flower
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup water

Directions

Fill a large kettle about 3/4 full with warm water and put it on the stove. Turn the heat to high.
*Tie together a sprig of parsley, a slice of carrot and a few celery leaves with string and add to the water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil.
While waiting for the water to boil, sprinkle the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper.
When the water is boiling, lift the cover carefully, turning the lid away from you so that the steam will not hit your face. Put the cover down on the edge of the stove. Drop the chicken pieces in very carefully so as not to splash the water. Put the cover back on, turn the heat down to medium, and cook the chicken for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, make the dumplings. Presift the flour and then sift the measured flour with the baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a medium-sized bowl. Add the shortening. Rub the flour and the shortening lightly through your fingers until they are well-mixed--the crumbs should be the size of small peas.
Add the water gradually, cutting it into the flour with a dull knife until the dough sticks together to form a ball.
Put the dough on a well-floured breadboard. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large circle about 1/4-inch thick. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or breadboard, scrape it off carefully with a dull knife and sprinkle more flour on the pin and board. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares with a dull knife.
When the chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the parsley and carrot bundle. Using a spatula, drop the dumplings a few at a time into the boiling water on top of the chicken. If you put too many in the pot at once, they may stick together. Cook in the uncovered pot for 10 minutes; then cover them and cook 10 minutes longer. When done, put the dumplings and the chicken on the plate and serve.
Makes 4 servings.