Priscilla wrote:

That's what I was considering, but I wondered if there were any recipes
that worked extra well with pieces from a roasting bird.

The recipe I follow for Chicken & Dumplings (which I got from Cook's
Illustrated) calls for a 6-7 pound bird. The "choice" parts (drumsticks,
thighs, and breasts) are kept whole, while the remainder is used to make the
broth:

Chicken and Dumplings with Aromatic Vegetables (Cooks Illustrated)
Serves 6 to 8
"A touch of heavy cream gives the dish a more refined look and rich flavor,
but for a weeknight dinner, you may want to omit it. If you are in a hurry,
you may poach boneless chicken breasts in low-sodium canned stock, then pull
the breast into large pieces, and skip step 1 below."

Poached Chicken with Creamed Gravy and Aromatic Vegetables
1 large roasting chicken, 6 to 7 pounds
large onion, cut into large chunks (not necessary to peel)
2 bay leaves
Salt
3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces
6 boiling onions, peeled and halved
4 tablespoons softened butter or chicken fat from the cooked chicken
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dry sherry or vermouth [I prefer sherry or Madeira]
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black or white pepper

Baking Powder Dumplings
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk

Preliminary: Cut up chicken as follows:
Cut off legs, separate thighs and drumsticks. Cut off wings. Cut off breasts
and separate. Cut along ribs on both sides to remove back. Reserve
breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Hack remainder (wings, back, breast bones,
and ribs) into 1- to 2-inch pieces.

1. For the chicken: Heat deep 11- or 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over
medium-high heat. Add hacked-up chicken pieces (back, neck, and wings) and
onion chunks; saute until onion softens and chicken loses its raw color,
about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to cook until
chicken pieces give up most of their liquid, about 20 minutes. Increase heat
to medium-high, add 6 cups hot water, chicken parts (drumsticks, thighs, and
breasts), bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt, then bring to simmer. Reduce
heat; continue to simmer, partially covered, until broth is flavorful and
chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes longer. Remove
chicken parts and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from
bones in 2- to 3-inch chunks. Strain broth, discarding chicken pieces. Skim
and reserve fat from broth and set aside 4 cups of broth, reserving extra
for another use.

2. While broth is cooling, bring 1/2-inch water to simmer in cleaned skillet
fitted with steamer basket. Add vegetables; cover and steam until just
tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. For the dumplings: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
Heat butter and milk to simmer and add to dry ingredients. Mix with a fork
or knead by hand two to three times until mixture just comes together. Form
dough into desired shape; set aside. [The article illustrates flat
noodle-like dumplings, biscuit-like dumplings, and round puffy dumplings. I
always ignore those instructions, and just drop spoonfuls of the dough onto
the simmering chicken. I think the more you handle the dumpling dough, the
more leaden it gets.]

4. Heat butter or reserved chicken fat in cleaned skillet over medium-high
heat. Whisk in flour and thyme; cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns
golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Continuing to whisk constantly, gradually add sherry
or vermouth, then reserved 4 cups chicken stock; simmer until gravy thickens
slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in optional cream and chicken and vegetables;
return to simmer.

5. Lay formed dumplings on surface of chicken mixture; cover and simmer
until dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes for strip dumplings and
15 minutes for balls and biscuit rounds. Gently stir in peas and parsley.
Adjust seasonings, including generous amounts of salt and pepper. Ladle
portion of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve
immediately.


Variation:
CHICKEN AND HERBED DUMPLINGS WITH AROMATIC VEGETABLES
Follow recipe for Chicken and Dumplings with Aromatic Vegetables, adding 1/4
cup minced soft fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives (or scallion
greens), dill, and tarragon to dumpling mixture along with dry ingredients.
If other herbs are unavailable, all parsley may be used.


Bob