Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs Bone-in, Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme Sprigs
  • Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To taste
  • 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, finely diced
  • 3 medium Carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks Celery Stalks, diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour (for roux)
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 5 cups Self-Raising Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/4 cup Cold Unsalted Butter, cubed
  • 3/4 cup Cold Buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

  1. Sear the Chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry. Season aggressively with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces until deeply golden brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  2. Sauté the Vegetables (Mirepoix): Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté gently until softened, about 8–10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Create the Roux: Sprinkle the 3 Tbsp of all-purpose flour over the vegetables. Stir constantly for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
  4. Simmer the Stock: Gradually pour in the cold chicken stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
  5. Return Chicken and Simmer: Return the seared chicken thighs to the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender.
  6. Shred the Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken pieces, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Shred the chicken meat using two forks. Set aside.
  7. Finish the Gravy: Stir the heavy cream into the simmering broth. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt and pepper). Ensure the stew is maintained at a gentle, steady simmer.
  8. Return Meat: Stir the shredded chicken back into the stew. Keep the stew covered and simmering while preparing the dumplings.
  9. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour and salt.
  10. Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  11. Add Wet Ingredients: Gently stir in the buttermilk and fresh parsley until just combined. The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky; do not overmix.
  12. Drop the Dumplings: Use two teaspoons or a small cookie scoop to gently drop rounded spoonfuls of the dumpling dough directly onto the surface of the simmering stew. Leave a small gap between each dumpling as they will expand significantly.
  13. Steam and Cook: Once all dumplings are added, cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low. Steam the dumplings for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
  14. Check for Doneness: Remove the lid. The dumplings should be doubled in size, plump, and firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted into the center of the largest dumpling should come out mostly clean.
  15. Serve: Ladle the chicken and dumplings into deep bowls immediately. Garnish with extra fresh parsley.