The quest to find the perfect chicken and dumplings has been on my recipe search list for decades. In my childhood home, my dad’s tableside tirades generally were of a political nature. But on the rare occasion that my mother prepared chicken and dumplings, her savory tufts of dumpling dough took a starring role in his colorful diatribes.
Mom liked dumplings that were light, Dad preferred them dense. And in their 65 years together, the dumpling wars remained unresolved. I fell in love with this tasty rendition from “Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2023.
” I think it is close to perfect. Yield: 4 servings 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided use, plus more for garnish 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 medium carrots (about 6 ounces), peeled, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds (about 1 cup) 2 large celery stalks (about 5 ounces), chopped (about 1 1/3 cups) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 6 cups water 1 tablespoon jarred chicken stock base, such as Better Than Bouillon 1 small bunch fresh thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen string, plus fresh thyme leaves for garnish 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (about 6 ounces) 3/4 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Garnish: chopped fresh parsley 1. Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Place chicken, skin side down, in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat, undisturbed until skin if browned and crisp,.