Chicken with Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings

By WheretheMagicHappens

Ingredients

• Chicken and Stock:
• 4 large Chicken Breasts
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 4 to 5 Black Peppercorns
• 1 head Garlic, split through through the equator
• 4 cups Pre-Made Chicken Broth, I used Swanson
• 2 cups Water
• 2 tsp Salt
• Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings:
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Chives, chopped
• 3/4 to 1 cup Buttermilk
• Sauce:
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 2-3 Carrots, diced
• 2-3 stalks Celery, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1/4-1/3 cup Flour
• 1 cup Frozen Peas
• 1 cup Frozen Pearl Onions
• 1/4-1/3 cup Heavy Cream
• Freshly ground pepper, for garnish
• Chopped Chives, for garnish

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the chicken:
Place the chicken breasts in a dutch oven with the chicken broth, water, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken breasts are cooked throughout.

When fully cooked, remove the chicken breasts and let cool. Tear into large chunks with your fingers, cover and set aside.

For the dumplings:
Note:I mixed all the dry ingredients together and wet ingredients and set them aside until ready to mix them together.

Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and add the buttermilk and chives.

When ready to use, pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold very gently. Mix until the dough just comes together. The batter will be thick.

For the sauce:
In a dutch oven, add butter and oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes. They cook faster if you turn the heat down a little and cover it. Make sure you stir them. You don't want them to burn.

When tender, add the flour to make a roux. Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add the frozen peas and the pearl onions. Let the sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream.

Fold in the chicken and bring to a simmer. Remove the bay leaves. Using two tablespoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10-15 minutes until the are firm and puffy.

Season with freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped chives before serving, if desired.