Old-fashioned Chicken And Dumplings

Total Time: 7 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 6 hrs 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 t. dried)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus extra as needed
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Recipe

• 1 stew: dry chicken with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• 2 heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over med-high heat until just smoking.
• 3 brown half of chicken lightly on both sides, 5-8 minutes; transfer to bowl.
• 4 repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and remaining chicken; transfer to bowl.
• 5 heat remaining tablespoon oil over med-high heat until shimmering.
• 6 add onions, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme; cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
• 7 stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
• 8 slowly whisk in sherry, scraping up any browned bits.
• 9 whisk in 1 cup broth, smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.
• 10 stir remaining 3 1/2 cups broth, carrots, and bay leaves into slow cooker.
• 11 nestle browned chicken with any accumulated juice into slow cooker.
• 12 cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4-6 hours on low.
• 13 transfer chicken to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.
• 14 let stew settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using a large spoon; discard bay leaves.
• 15 stir shredded chicken, peas, and parsley into stew, and season with salt and pepper to taste (adjust stew consistency with additional hot broth as needed).
• 16 cover and cook on high until simmering.
• 17 dumplings: whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• 18 microwave milk and butter together until warm (do not overheat), about 1 minute, then whisk to melt butter.
• 19 stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just incorporated and smooth.
• 20 drop golf ball-size dumplings on top of simmering stew, leaving about 1/4-inch between each dumpling (should have about 18 dumplings).
• 21 cover and cook until dumplings have doubled in size, 25-35 minutes; serve.