Chicken Mull...Native Athens area Stew

Thank me later, and you can also add a lil squirrel & rabbit to it.......
Chicken Mull
This is one of the few recipes native to Georgia, and is actually unique to just the Athens area. It’s a simple dish, but very comforting.

For more info on chicken mull, see the New Georgia Encyclopedia here: LINK

Source: Traditional (Entered by Eric Wagoner)
Serves: About 6, but it's flexible


Ingredients
1 stewing chicken View Available Products
2 cups chicken broth (optional)
1/4 cup butter
3 cups milk View Available Products
crackers (saltine, Ritz, or whatever your favorite is)

Step by Step Instructions
Put the chicken in a slow cooker, cover with water, and cook several hours (all day, even) until it is falling off the bone. You can add carrot and celery to the water too, if you wish.
Take all the meat off the bone and shred, chop, or grind. I prefer a coarse grind, which can be achieved through a few quick pulses of the food processor, but it is up to you and what you like.
Strain the liquid from the slow cooker back into the cooker, and add the chicken. You can add more broth if you wish. Add the butter. Add the milk. At this point, you'll have a thin stew. As it heats up, crush and add a couple sleeves of crackers. This will thicken the stew, and you can add as much as you wish. Traditionally, mull is the consistency of oatmeal.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional crackers, hot sauce, and maybe a vinegary cole slaw on the side.