Chicken and Dumplings
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Why I Love This Recipe
I've been searching for an extraordinary recipe for this ultimate comfort food. This is such a tasty version, I just had to share it with you. It originally comes from American’s Test Kitchen, The All-New 2006 Companion to the Public Television Series
Ingredients You'll Need
3 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tsp. vegetable oil
4 tsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 celery ribs, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 large onion, minced
6 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup dry sherry
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup whole milk
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen green peas
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
Dumplings:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp. reserved chicken fat (or unsalted butter)
Directions
For the stew: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with remaining 2 tsp. oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.
Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and ¼ tsp. salt., and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew.
For the Dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.
Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Drop golf-ball sized dumplings by gathering dumpling batter onto a soup spoon and then push the dumpling over the top of the stew, about ¼-inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.