I am the proud new owner of a beautiful 5-quart Le Creuset French oven, and boy do I love it.  I received it from my in-laws for Christmas, and before we even got home I was planning my first meal.  Chicken and dumplings.

I’ve never made chicken soup or dumplings before but it never really looked that hard when I’ve seen it done.  I found the most simplistic recipe I could find, knowing The Neelys wouldn’t let me down.  And they didn’t.

It turned out beautifully, if I don’t say so myself.  I find that I’m not a fan of drop dumplings (I’m more of a matzoh ball gal) but my mother-in-law told me about something called a “slick” dumpling that my husband’s grandmother makes, so I may try that next time.  Just need to figure out what the heck it is…

My favorite part of this dish?  I love how after the dumplings start cooking, the broth turns milky and hearty.  Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 ribs celery, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic

Directions

In a very large saucepan or Dutch oven, add chicken, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf to cover. Turn on heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. *Cook’s Note: You’ll want to poach the chicken on a low simmer and start with cold stock so the chicken cooks evenly.

Once the chicken is cooked, transfer to a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish and let cool. Reserve broth and discard the thyme and bay leaf. When chicken has cooled, shred. Use your hands or a fork and make sure to get all the meat off the bone. Discard the skin and bones.

Dumplings:

Add flour, salt and pepper, to taste, and baking powder to a large bowl and whisk together. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, butter and herbs to a low simmer then add to the dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Using your hands, form dough into dumplings.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add oil. Once oil is hot, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add reserved broth to Dutch oven with vegetables and add the chicken. Bring to a low simmer. Add dumplings 1 at a time into the simmering soup. Cover pan with a lid and cook for 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary.

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