Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 quarts delicious chicken stock (check out my homemade tutorials here and here)
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (light and/or dark meat)
1 heaping tablespoon chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup heavy cream
freshly chopped chives or scallions for garnish (optional)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Dumplings:
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Directions
In a 5-quart or larger stockpot or dutch oven, heat butter and b\oil together over medium-high heat.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and sautéed until the onions are translucent and a brown film (or “fond”) develops on the bottom of the pot.
Add chicken stock and scrape brown bits from bottom of pot; taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Partially cover pot and bring to a gently rolling boil.
Make dumplings by stirring the dough ingredients together; roll walnut-size dumplings in the palm of your hand and place on a plate until needed.
Uncover pot and reduce heat to low, maintaining a gentle simmer (a few bubbles are fine).
Add all the dumplings at the same time and cover the pot; simmer for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Turn off the heat and gently stir in the peas and cream.
Serve with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh chopped chives or scallions.
Notes
If using store-bought chicken stock, add 1 clove minced garlic when sautéing the carrots, onion, and celery. Also, add 1 bay leaf when adding chicken stock to the pot (remove the bay leaf before serving).
For a little extra kick, add freshly ground black pepper to the dumpling mixture. You may also add chopped fresh chives or parsley.