Chicken and Dumplings

I love chicken and dumplings!  I have tried many different recipes, that are OK.  But this one is delicious.  It is a little more work, but well worth it.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

For the Chicken

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 medium carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced 1/4 thick
4 sprigs thyme
1 T. unsalted butter, plus more as needed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (leeks should be sliced, soaked in water and drained to remove any dirt between layers)
8 cups water or chicken broth

For the Dumplings and Assembly

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped chives (optional)

Preparation:

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Working in batches if needed, sear chicken, skin-side down, until deeply golden brown, 8-10 minutes.  Flip chicken and continue to cook until it is browned on the other side, another 5-8 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a large plate, and pour off all fat into a measuring cup.  (You should have about 5 tablespoons, depending on the fattiness of the chicken.)

Leaving all the browned bits in the pot, return 2 tablespoons of fat to the pot.  Add onions, celery and half the carrots.  Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat, stirring to scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pot.  Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 4 minutes or so.  Return chicken to the pot along with thyme and 8 cups water or broth.  Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is completely tender and liquid has reduced by about 1/4, about 30-45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board to cool.  Strain the stock (you should have about 5 cups; if you have less you can add water to make up the difference) and wipe out the pot.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons chicken fat along with 1 tablespoon butter (if you don't have enough chicken fat, use enough butter to equal 4 tablespoons of fat) over medium heat.  Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly until it'a all a pale golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Slowly whisk in reserved chicken stock until no lumps remain (it will thicken considerable at first) and bring to a boil.  Add leeks and remaining carrots, season with salt and pepper and lower the heat to simmer.

Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken.  Shred the meat and add to the pot.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nicely thickened and carrots and leeks are tender, 10-12 minutes.

Make the dumplings:  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg and add to dry ingredients, followed by melted butter. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)

Using a spoon, drop generous quarter-size dollops of the dumpling dough into the pot (they should just sit right on top; they will not sink),  spacing them apart as much as possible (it's OK if they touch). Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.  Cook, undisturbed, until the dumplings are puffed and totally, cooked through, 18-22 minutes.

Remove lid and divide among bowls; sprinkle with parsley and chives, if using.