Wild Mushroom & Herb Chicken with Chive Drop Dumplings

One of my top all-time comfort meals without a doubt has to be chicken and dumplings. It’s a hearty, rich, and rustic stick to your bones meal that’s great if you’re in the mood for a satisfying mostly hands free dinner. For some reason though despite my love for vegetables, I prefer a non-traditional take on it. Most chicken and dumpling recipes have carrots and celery in a pale gravy with dense and heavy dumplings. This just doesn’t do it for me, and I prefer a different approach.

When I think of chicken and dumplings I think of a rich darker gravy with a bright, fresh, herby and mushroom flavor and flaky biscuit-like dumplings. By omitting some of the classic ingredients such as carrots and celery, and replacing them with a wild mushroom blend and bouquet of fresh herbs, you get a different take on a classic dish. Then by preparing the dumplings like a drop biscuit, it ensures a light and airy texture that isn’t heavy and dense. Whether you love the traditional style or just want to try something different, this dish does not disappoint!

Ingredients

For Chicken

- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone in skin removed learn to break down a chicken yourself
- Flour for dredging
- 4 ounces wild mushroom blend
- Medium onion sliced
- 5 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 cups chicken bone stock
- Couple rosemary sprigs (more or less to taste)
- Large bundle thyme sprigs (more or less to taste)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

For Dumplings

- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons minced chives (more or less to taste)
- 3 tablespoons cold butter or lard cut into 6 pieces
- 3/4 cup milk or half and half

Directions

For Chicken

- Add olive oil to coat bottom of a heavy bottom pan with a tablespoon of butter and turn on medium high. **This has a long cook time and a heavy bottomed stainless steel or enamel coated cast iron skillet will prevent sticking/scorching.
- Prepare chicken by removing excess skin/fat, and lightly dredge in flour shaking off excess. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- When oil is shimmering, add chicken to pan working in batches browning well on both sides but not cooking through, removing to a plate. Leave oil and fat in the pan.
- Add fresh rosemary and thyme to cheesecloth tying up to create a bouquet.
- Add mushrooms and onion to pan and saute until softened on medium heat. Add crushed garlic cloves and herb bouquet, sauteeing until fragrant, then add chicken stock scraping up browned bits. Nestle chicken back into stock, adding juices collected on plate.
- If chicken isn’t covered by stock, add more until just covered. You don’t want it to be completely submerged, just barely covered.
- Turn heat back up to medium high bringing it up to a light boil. Cover with a small crack to allow steam to escape, and turn heat down to lowest setting and let simmer for 2 hours or so.
- Occasionally stir, scraping the bottom to make sure nothing is sticking, and add additional stock if needed to keep chicken covered.
- After 2 hours or so when chicken is fall apart tender, turn heat back up to medium-medium high until stock comes to a light boil. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Whisk flour and milk together, until there are no clumps to make a thickener, then slowly add to pan constantly whisking until fully incorporated. Turn heat down to medium-medium low, frequently stirring to thicken and prevent any sticking to the bottom of the pan. Taste again, adding salt and pepper as needed.

For Dumplings

- While gravy is thickening, start to prepare the dumplings. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and chives until combined. With pastry cutter, add butter or lard and combine. You want chunks about pea sized, not big chunks. Slowly and gently fold in milk/half & half until just combined. Do not overmix! Cutting in butter/lard this way, and gently/slowly folding in the half and half will create a biscuit-like dumpling that is light with pockets rather than dense and tough.
- Once gravy has started to thicken, turn heat down to low, and drop dumplings by the spoonful scattered on top (I use an ice cream scoop so it easily releases and I have consistent sized dumplings). Once all dumplings are all added, allow to continue to simmer with the lid off and heat on low for 5 minutes. Then, cover, and allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes. At this point test your dumplings. If they are firm then they are cooked through. If they are still soft/tacky they need additional time. Depending on the size, they may need up to an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove herb bouquet, serve and enjoy!