Chicken and Dumplings

Method

1. 1

   Put the thighs, water, 2 teaspoons of salt, the pepper, onion, carrots, celery, bay, and thyme in a heavy pot. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender and a thigh reads 165°F at the bone, about 35 to 45 minutes.

2. 2

   Lift the chicken out. When you can handle it, pull the meat off the bones and shred it. Discard the bones, skin if you do not want it, and the bay leaves. Return the meat to the pot. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Taste the broth and salt it. Keep it at a steady simmer, not a hard boil.

3. 3

   Stir the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut in the cold butter. Stir in the milk until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.

4. 4

   Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the surface of the simmering stew. Cover the pot. Cook 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid. The dumplings need the steam. They are done when a toothpick in the center of one comes out clean and the dough is not wet in the middle.

5. 5

   Ladle into bowls, broth and dumpling both. If the pot is crowded, the dumplings will be soft. That is what this dish is.

From the kitchen

• A whole small chicken works in place of the thighs. Same pot, same time, same 165°F.
• If you lift the lid early, the dumplings stay raw in the center. Fifteen minutes is the rule.