Acadian Chicken Fricot (Chicken Stew)

Preparing the chicken can be done 2 ways:

1) You can use 3 pounds of chicken, with bone in, and just simmer in the 10 cups of water for 45 minutes to an hour. Then remove the chicken pieces, (reserving the cooking water as the stew broth), let cool slightly and remove the meat from the bones, cutting to bite-sized pieces.

or

2) Roast a small chicken (or you can make a larger amount of stew using a turkey), then remove as much meat as possible, cutting to bite-sized pieces, and reserve. Then simmer the chicken bones in the 10 cups water for about an hour to make the broth.

After preparing the meat and broth with your chosen method:

Saute the onions in the butter until translucent.

Add flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Put all remaining ingredients into the reserved broth, including meat, and simmer for another 30 minutes. Adjusting seasonings to taste.

If preparing dumplings, add them in the last 10 minutes that the stew is simmering.