Cook Chicken:

Place chicken pieces in a medium to large pot. Stick the four whole cloves into the onion and add to the pot along with carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, water, chicken stock and whole milk.

Bring to a boil, lower to a medium simmer and cook for one hour uncovered. Strain into colander over a bowl to catch the liquid. Separate meat from other solids, break up the meat into bite sized pieces and discard all other solids. You should have between five and six cups of cooked meat and about two quarts of stock.

While chicken is cooking, place butter in a small sauté pan and melt over medium heat. Add flour, stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and set aside.

Make dumplings:

In a food processor, place flour, baking powder, salt and sage and pulse to mix. Add shortening and again pulse to mix. Add milk and pulse until combined into a sticky dough.

Flour your counter and scrape dough out from food processor. Lightly flour the top and roll to 10×12 inches in size.

Using a sharp knife, cut lines on an angle one way then the other about an inch apart forming diamonds.

Prepare for serving:

Pour the stock into a 4-5 quart pot and bring to a boil. Add the dough triangles a few at a time so they don’t stick together. Lower to a medium simmer and cook 10 minutes. Cover, lower heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.

Remove dumplings to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Thicken the stock with the butter/flour mixture from earlier by whisking while you add. Cook over medium for one minute after adding the butter/flour mixture.

Pour cooked chicken in and stir then pour dumplings back in and serve with chopped fresh parsley over each bowl.