My favorite thing about the modern crock pot is that once all the ingredients are thrown together and it has been turned on, you can walk away and slowly the sacred vessel turns that hodge podge of simple ingredients into something truly special. Many a time I've left the crock pot to the muses of time only to come home to the wonderful smells wafting throughout the house with a promise of a gourmet meal waiting at the appointed time.

Today's dinner is a bastion of homemade goodness transporting one back to a simpler time and stems from my southern roots on the farm. (Ok, so I'm not really from the South and I've never lived on a farm, but I did live in the Virginia / North Carolina area for two years and I have ancestors that were gentleman farmers in Kentucky).

Southern Style Chicken & Dumplings

2 lbs, boneless, skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)

6 cups chicken stock (can be quickly made with chicken base (or bouillon) and water)

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 med. potatoes, peeled and diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, quartered

2 tsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Biscuit Topping (see below)

Roux as needed to thicken (See post on Roux if you don't know about this wonderful thickener).

Peas can be added if desired at the end. (optional)

Place all ingredients in crock pot except Biscuit Topping and Roux. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Prepare Biscuit Topping and spoon over chicken mixture. Thicken with roux until desired consistency (caution, this will continue to thicken slightly as it cook). Tilt lid to vent steam and cook on high for 30 minutes or until biscuits are cooked in the center (caution #2 biscuits will also thicken sauce).

Biscuit Topping:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup butter or shortening (cut in until coarse and crumbly)

2/3 cup cold milk (add and stir until completely moist)

Roux (as a thickener)

One of the first things I learned in culinary school was how to make roux. This basic ingredient is a common thickener in many sauces (including three of the classic sauces of French cuisine), gravies, soups and stews. The two keys to a making a good roux is to incorporate the ingredients by weight and to cook until the floury taste is gone and the desired color is reached.

At it's simplest, roux is just equal parts flour and fat (most commonly clarified butter), by weight. The fat is heated in a pan until melted (if necessary) and the flour is incorporated. It is cooked to at least the point the raw flour taste is no longer apparent and the desired color is reached. Results can range from nearly white, to blond, brown and even black, depending on the length of cooking time and how it is to be used.

A roux can be stored for quite some time either on the counter or refrigerated (depending on the type of fat used).

Basic Roux

1 lb Clarified Butter

1 lb White Flour

Melt butter and stir in flour, incorporating until the flour is blended and cooked until desired taste and color is reached.