Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

1. Stage

Place the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add water, the vinegar and salt. The amount of water is approximate, you just need enough to cover the chicken. Bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat, then cover and simmer until the meat nearly falls from the bones. Remove the chicken from the broth and allow it to cool. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables and seasonings. Editor's Tip: Save the bones and the discarded vegetables and seasonings to make a delicious and nutritious homemade bone broth.

2. Stage

Next, remove the meat from the chicken bones; discard skin and bones (or save them for broth, as noted above). Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, then set it aside and keep it warm. Reserve 1 cup of the broth, and let it cool to lukewarm.

3. Stage

Combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, and add the egg. Gradually stir 1/4 cup of the reserved broth into the egg, picking up flour as you go. Continue gently stirring and adding until the flour is used up, adding additional broth as needed until the dough is the consistency of pie dough. Pour any remaining reserved broth back into the stockpot.

4. Stage

Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead in additional flour to form a stiff dough. Once it's formed, let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Add more flour to your surface, then roll the dough into a 17-inch square. Cut that into 1-inch square pieces. Dust each mini square with additional flour, then let them dry for up to one hour.

5. Stage

Next, bring the broth to a boil. There should be about 4 quarts left at this point. Drop the dumplings into the boiling broth. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Be sure to keep the cover on as the dish simmers. Then stir in the chicken and the pepper.