Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Recipe By:  Claire Winstanley

Serves: 10
Preparation: 10mins
Cooking: 15mins
 
8 skinless chicken legs and thighs
½ pack bacon, diced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
1 onion, roughly chopped
Small handful thyme
2 tablespoons flour
2L chicken stock
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
 
Preheat the oven to 180’c. Brown the chicken pieces in a hot cast iron pot. Remove and set aside. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until slightly crispy. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5mins until slightly softer and the onion begins to caramelize a little. Sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of flour and stir constantly. Top with chicken stock and then return the chicken to the pot. Simmer for 20mins until the sauce starts to thicken.  While the chicken cooks make the dumplings. Place the self-raising flour, butter and salt in a food processor to combine. Pour in the milk until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Form 8-10 small balls and place in the stew, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 20mins until the dumplings have swelled and cooked. Try not lift the lid for at least 15mins until the dumplings have risen.