Chicken & Dumplings
A classic of southern and middle America. With mellow broth and pillowly dumplings, there’s hardly anything more comforting. Celery root delivers the aromatic qualities of celery but with a meatier texture. Here we’re roasting chicken thighs, but feel free to sub: soups and stews are a great way to use up any leftover chicken or turkey already on hand.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the soup
2 - 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 onion, medium dice
1 fennel bulb, medium dice
1 small head celeriac, medium dice
2 carrots, sliced into half moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup butter or schmaltz (chicken fat)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
For the dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
To serve
Chives or scallions, thinly sliced
Fresh dill, chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 425°F with the fan on.
Roast the chicken thighs. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Arrange them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast to an internal temperature of 175°F. Check them after 10 minutes. Set aside until they are cool enough to shred.
Build the soup. In a large pot with a tightfitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, celeriac, and carrots and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the butter, and once melted, stir in the flour. Continue stirring for a couple of minutes, until the roux begins to smell nutty. Deglaze with the white wine. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust.
Make the dumpling batter. Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Mix the wet into the dry until just combined. This dough is pretty wet, so it will come together easily - no need to mix excessively. We want the dumplings to be light and fluffy.
Form the dumplings. Use two spoons to form dumplings (about the size of a big cherry tomato) and drop them gently into the simmering soup. The dumplings will puff up quite a bit, so don’t worry too much about their shape. You should end up with about 12 dumplings. Cover the pot with the lid and set the heat to a very low simmer. Steam the dumplings for 12-15 minutes. They’re done when their surfaces are shiny and they’re no longer doughy in the middle. Take one out and cut it open to test.
Serve. Ladle into bowls. Top with chives, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper.
FURTHER READING
