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Chicken Stew with Fluffy Dumplings

Source of Recipe


From "The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook"



List of Ingredients



• 1 plain or salt-and-pepper rotisserie chicken
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 4 cups cold water
  
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
  
• ¾ cup sliced celery
  
• 1½ cups sliced carrots
  
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
  
• Kosher salt
  
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  
• 2 cups self-rising flour
  
• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
  
• 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
  
• ¾ cup half-and-half or cream
  






Instructions



1. Pull the meat from the chicken; refrigerate, covered, until needed. Place the bones and skin in a large saucepan or small stockpot; add the broth and water. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the carcass falls apart and the liquid reduces to about 6 cups, about 1 hour. Strain the broth and set aside; discard solids.
   
   
2. Heat the oil in a 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, thyme, and a pinch of salt; stir to coat. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved broth, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and reserved chicken. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
   
   
3. Place the flour in a medium bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in the half-and-half. The dough should be soft and sticky, but firm enough to hold together on a spoon.
   
   
4. Bring the stew to a low boil over medium-high heat.
   
   
5. Using a 1-ounce scoop or spoon, drop golf-ball-size dumplings evenly over the surface of the stew. Cover and cook until the dumplings are firm and look dry on top, about 20 minutes. If the dumplings are firm and fluffy but still wet on top, baste them with some of the hot liquid. Serve the stew and dumplings immediately.
   
   Serves 6 to 8