Chicken Pudding

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 (5 lb) whole chickens
• 4 carrots
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granule
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup coarsely crushed saltine crackers (about 24 crackers)
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine, melted

Recipe

• 1 combine first 6 ingredients and water to cover in a large dutch oven.
• 2 bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.
• 3 remove chicken and cool.
• 4 pour 6 cups broth through a wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding solids.
• 5 reserve remaining broth for later use.
• 6 whisk 6 tablespoons butter, bouillon granules, and poultry seasoning into strained broth until smooth.
• 7 set aside to cool.
• 8 cut shortening into flour with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.
• 9 add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• 10 spread dough to a 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly greased baking sheet, forming 1 large hoecake (i call it a"biscuit").
• 11 bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• 12 cool on wire rack; break into pieces.
• 13 skin, bone, and coarsely chop chicken.
• 14 layer chicken and hoecake pieces in a lightly greased 13-x 9-inch baking dish.
• 15 whisk together chicken broth mixture and eggs; pour evenly over chicken and hoecake pieces.
• 16 stir together cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle evenly over top of chicken mixture.
• 17 bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown and set.
• 18 let stand 10 minutes before serving.