1whole chickencan substitute 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs, roasted chicken, or whatever other chicken you may have,
10cupschicken stock
5carrotsunpeeled, halved and chopped into quarters
1large yellow oniondiced
3stalks celerydiced
5red or yukon potatoesunpeeled, diced
6tablespoonall-purpose flour
1cupmilk
2tablespoonfresh parsleychopped
5-8sprigs fresh thymeleaves only
1 ½teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
For The Dumplings:
2cupscake flourcan substitute All-Purpose Flour, but will not be quite as fluffy
2teaspoonbaking powder
¾teaspoonkosher salt
¾cupmilk
2tablespoonunsalted buttermelted
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoondried tarragon
3-4sprigs fresh thymeleaves only
Instructions
Heat chicken stock over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add chicken and cook until able to easily shred chicken meat, about 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool. Shred and set aside when cooled.
Add carrots, onion, celery, and potatoes to the chicken stock.
In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and 1 cup milk and stir until no longer lumpy. Add milk mixture to the pot. This will thicken the mixture.
Add shredded chicken, parsley, 5-8 sprigs of fresh thyme, kosher salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and sauce is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.
To make the dumplings, in a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. In a separate medium bowl, combine the remaining ¾ cup milk, melted butter, oregano, tarragon and 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves only).
Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gently mix until just incorporated. Do not over-mix, as this will cause the dumplings to become less light and fluffy.
Drop dumpling mixture into the stew in heaping spoonfuls. Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes until cooked through. Do not open the cover of the pot during these 15 minutes. It is important to keep the steam in the pot to cook the dumplings. If, after 15 minutes, the dumplings are not cooked through, cover again and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes.
For leftovers, add 2-3 cups more chicken stock (as needed) and cook over medium-high heat. Season with additional kosher salt and/or ground black pepper, to taste.