"Bens Chicken and Dumplings"

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Resist the urge to lift the lid of the pot once you drop the dumplings. The lid creates a little pocket of steam that’s needed to help the dumpling puff up and become airy. Allow them to cook the entire 15 minutes before removing the lid.

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Ingredients

  • Chicken Stew:
  • 3 lbs 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and legs are the most tender)
  • 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 2 leeks (light green and white parts only) – or celery
  • 1 large 1 large onion
  • 1 1 carrot
  • 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
  • 5 tablespoons 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups 5 cups (1250 ml) unsalted chicken broth (or water)
  • 1/4 cup 1/4 cup whole milk (or 2%)
  • 1 cup 1 cup frozen green peas
  • Dumplings:
  • 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup 1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk), well shaken

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the chicken stew: Slice the leeks (or celery, if using) length-wise and then dice into pieces. Dice the onions and carrots. Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces and par-fry the chicken until golden and crisp on both sides (about 4 minutes on each side). Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the crisped skin. Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pot and crisp the remaining pieces of chicken and set aside.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Mince the garlic, add to the pot and toast lightly for a few seconds. Add the diced carrot, leeks and onion, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they are softened. Stir in the flour until the vegetables are coated. Add 1/2 a cup of the chicken stock to create a thick mixture. Add the remaining 4 1/2 cups of stock to the pot. Arrange the chicken pieces in the bottom of the pot. Cover and simmer for about 40-50 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bones and shred the chicken. Discard the bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.

Prepare the dumplings:
Whisk together your cake flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, and pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix in the melted butter and the buttermilk with a wooden spoon, set aside for a few minutes — the baking powder will begin to activate the batter causing it to puff up.

Return the stew to a simmer and stir in the peas. Drop the dumpling dough by tablespoons on top of the stew. You should get about 16 dumplings in total. Leave a little bit of room around each dumpling to allow the dumplings to puff up and expand as they steam. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook the dumplings for about 15 minutes until the dumplings have doubled in size. Serve immediately as the dumplings will begin to sop up the juices of the stew. To save time, the stew can be made ahead of time and refrigerated but make the dumpling batter right before you intend to use it and bring the mixture up to a simmer before dropping the dumplings in. For leftovers: If, after refrigerating the stew, the dumplings have absorbed most of the moisture, simply add a little water (and salt if necessary) to the mixture to loosen it up before reheating.

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