Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups all-purpose flour for dumplings
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt for dumplings
• 3/4 cup milk for dumplings
• 3 tbsp melted butter for dumplings

Instructions

Follow each step in order. The directions below are written so a beginner can understand what to do, what to look for, and when to move on to the next step.

1. Step 1.Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 7–8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften without browning heavily.
2. Step 2.Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables. Stir continuously for about 1 minute so the flour coats the vegetables and loses its raw taste.
3. Step 3.Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring, scraping the bottom of the pot to dissolve any flour stuck there. Add the thyme and bay leaf, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil.
4. Step 4.Simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are nearly tender and the broth has thickened slightly. Stir in the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup milk, and frozen peas, then keep the pot at a gentle simmer.
5. Step 5.For the dumplings, whisk the 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the 3/4 cup milk and melted butter just until a soft, shaggy dough forms; overmixing can make the dumplings dense.
6. Step 6.Use a tablespoon or small scoop to drop portions of dumpling dough over the simmering stew, leaving a little space between them. Try to keep the portions similar in size so they finish cooking at the same time.
7. Step 7.Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, because trapped steam is what cooks the tops of the dumplings and helps them rise.
8. Step 8.After 15 minutes, uncover the pot and split one dumpling from the center to check doneness. It should look fluffy and cooked through with no wet flour in the middle; cook a few minutes longer if needed.
9. Step 9.Remove the bay leaf, taste the broth, and adjust the salt and black pepper. If the stew is thicker than you prefer, stir in a small splash of warm broth without breaking up the cooked dumplings.
10. Step 10.Serve immediately in wide bowls, spooning chicken, vegetables, broth, and dumplings into each portion. Cool leftovers promptly and store them covered, knowing that the dumplings will absorb more broth as they chill.