Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Inspiration: Tyler Florence
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Makes: 8+ servings

Description: If I'm going to make chicken and dumplings, I'm gonna do it right. This is a labor of love meal.  My extended family has requested this dish multiple times when they come to visit. Watch out for those dumpling hogs though.....you know who you are.

                                                 

Ingredients

Stock
1 chicken
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs of thyme
5 black peppercorns
1 head of garlic split
2 Tbsp salt

Dumplings
2 c flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 c chopped chives
1 c buttermilk

Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp oil
2 diced carrots
2 diced celery stalks
2 cloves garlic minced
2 bay  leaves
1/4 c flour
6 c of stock (from chicken just cooked)
1 c peas
1 c pearl onions
1/4 c heavy cream
S&P

Directions:
1. Place raw chicken and stock in pot, cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 1 hour. skim surface of fat as it cooks.
2. Strain the fresh stock and shred chicken.
3. In dutch oven or pot start making the sauce by adding butter and oil. Saute carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves until soft. Stir in flour and make a roux. Keep stirring until coated.
4. Slowly pour in chicken stock and stir well each time. Add peas and onions.
5. Put chicken into sauce and bring up to a simmer. Let sauce simmer until thick enough to coat back of the spoon. Stir in heavy cream.
6. For dumplings:  sift dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Lightly beat wet ingredients together. Pour liquid into the dry and gently fold. The batter should be thick and cake-like.
7. Carefully drop heaping Tbsp of dumpling batter into the soup.  The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce but not crowd each other.  Let them poach for 10 or so minutes until firm and puffy.
8. Remove bay leaves.

Tips and Tricks
If you are watching calories use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream.
I cut the dumplings in half after cooking them. I also only use half the dumpling batter. Once everyone has gotten their first bowl (and taken all the dumplings) I add the rest of the dumpling batter.