Braised chicken and dumplings
A comforting dish everyone loves, and the smell of it cooking is wonderful!
4 chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks, skin on
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1⁄ 4 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1⁄ 2 cup dry white wine
2 cups good-quality chicken stock, heated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves 1⁄ 2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Dumplings
1 1⁄ 2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⁄ 2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 egg
3⁄ 4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 ̊F. Season chicken with salt. In large, ovenproof Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to plate. Set aside.
Melt butter in Dutch oven and add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in flour and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Whisk in wine, then chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring, until boiling and slightly thickened, about 8 minutes (sauce will be thin). Add thyme and bay leaves. Return chicken to sauce; cover and bake in oven about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce. Whisk in cream, mustard and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return chicken to pot.
To make dumplings, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into bowl. Beat together egg and milk and stir into flour mixture just until moistened. With two spoons, drop batter onto chicken stew. Cover and simmer on stovetop for 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
