Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

Season and brown chicken

Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper and season the thighs evenly. Dredge each thigh lightly in 1 cup flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tbs neutral oil and 2 tbs unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the thighs skin-side down and brown 4–5 minutes until deep golden; flip and brown the other side 3 minutes. Work in batches if needed. Transfer browned thighs to a plate.

Sauté vegetables for gravy

Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery to the pot (if needed add a touch more oil). Sauté 6–8 minutes until softened and starting to color. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Make roux and deglaze

Stir in 3 tbs flour and cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste, stirring constantly to form a light roux. Slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken stock while whisking to deglaze and prevent lumps, scraping any browned bits from the bottom.

Simmer with chicken

Return the chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them into the liquid. Add remaining 3 cups chicken stock, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook 25–30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender (internal temp 165°F / 74°C). Remove thighs and keep warm; leave cooking liquid and vegetables in pot.

Finish gravy

Remove bay leaf and, using a slotted spoon, remove larger vegetable pieces to an interim bowl if you prefer a smoother gravy. Simmer the liquid to slightly thicken if needed. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust salt (start with 1 tsp) and pepper. If you want a silkier texture, blend half the gravy with an immersion blender, then return solids.

While chicken simmers, toss potatoes, parsnip, and turnip with 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Spread on a sheet pan and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20–25 minutes until golden and tender. Alternatively, you may add these vegetables into the pot with the chicken for braising — if braising, add with the thighs about 25 minutes before the end of cooking so they become tender but not falling apart.

Make dumpling dough

In a mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 tbs baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Cut 4 tbs cold cubed butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk and 2 tbs chopped parsley until just combined; do not overmix.

Cook dumplings in gravy

With the gravy at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil), drop dumpling batter by generous tablespoonfuls (or use a small cookie scoop) onto the surface of the simmering gravy, spacing them so they don't touch (they will expand). Cover the pot tightly and simmer undisturbed for 12–15 minutes until dumplings have puffed and are cooked through (a skewer inserted should come out clean). Do not lift the lid during cooking or dumplings may deflate.

Finish dumpling texture

If dumplings need a bit more cook, cover and continue 2–3 minutes. After cooking, remove the lid and let sit 2 minutes to stabilize before serving.

If you removed the chicken earlier, return the thighs to the pot to warm for 1–2 minutes. Nestle the roasted root vegetables around the thighs or spoon vegetables into bowls if you roasted separately. Spoon plenty of black pepper gravy and dumplings over chicken and roots. Garnish with 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley and an extra 1/2 tsp black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately: 1 chicken thigh per person with 2–3 dumplings and a portion of root vegetables. Leftover gravy stores 3 days refrigerated; dumplings are best eaten same day.