A comfort food classic through the Midwest and much of the South, this dish gets top billing when made fully from scratch. This version is a little bit lightened up from the original, but no less creamy-good.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels, can use frozen and thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- For the Dumplings:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until well coated. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken to the pot and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly browned about 3 minutes. Set the chicken aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add the 2 tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven. Stir in the carrots, celery, pearl onions, corn, thyme, sage, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes.
Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, chives, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the milk until just combined.
Stir the broth and the browned chicken into the vegetables. Bring the stew to a simmer then stir in the peas.
Drop the dumpling dough into the stew in 12 heaping tablespoons — spaced apart as much as possible as they tend to puff up. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pot and simmer until the dumplings are firm and the chicken is cooked through about 15 to 20 minutes.
