What's for Dinner?

[Betty]

Originally Posted by lashbear

Recipe please, he asked nicely.

I use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs which I found rather stringy - but I don't usually care for thighs so YMMV. As a result, I add more butter to make up for the lack of chicken fat from the skin. I put the veggies in the food processor and whir them around (except for the peas) as my family is veggie-phobic and picked them all out the first time around. This makes a great sauce though and I've used more veggies at times I've made it - if I had more on hand or just wanted to "hide" more in it. I like to kind of caramelize them a bit to begin with - not just get them soft. As chef Anne always says "brown is flavor". Makes up for not browning the chicken I think. I start with the veggies and add the raw chicken with the broth - or in my case I used water and "Better Than Bouillon". When the chicken in nice and tender, I use 2 forks to break it up right in the pot. I use a small ice cream scoop (golf ball size) and get them all in the pot pretty quick that way. The stew part is pretty a pretty forgiving recipe - I rarely measure for it. But the dumplings are like baking and I always measure for those.



CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Serve 6 to 8. Published February 15, 2005.

Don't use low-fat or fat-free milk in this recipe. Start the dumpling dough only when you're ready to top the stew with the dumplings.


INGREDIENTS
Stew
5pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4teaspoons vegetable oil
4tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 carrots , peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2ribs celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion , minced
6tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4cup dry sherry
4 1/2cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4cup whole milk
1teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1cup frozen green peas
3tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Dumplings
2cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1tablespoon baking powder
1teaspoon table salt
1cup whole milk
3tablespoons reserved chicken fat (or unsalted butter)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the Stew: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons 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 the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.

2. Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Following the photos below, drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 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.

TECHNIQUE
Getting it Right: Adding the Dumplings


1. Gather a golf-ball-sized portion of the dumpling batter onto a soup spoon, then push the dumpling onto the stew using a second spoon.


2. Cover the stew with the dumplings, leaving about 1/4 inch between each.


3. When fully cooked, the dumplings will have doubled in size.