Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Cheese-Herb Dumplings

Chicken Fricassee with Cheese-Herb Dumplings

5 lb chicken split and jointed
ground nutmeg
white pepper
paprika
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 large shallots -- cut in slivers
1 med onion -- finely chopped
3 leeks cut in 1/2-inch pieces
4 carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup celery cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp chervil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

CHEESE HERB DUMPLINGS
2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp chervil
1/3 cup cheddar cheese -- grated
1 egg -- beaten
3 tbl butter -- melted
2/3 cup milk

Sprinkle chicken on both sides with seasonings. Heat oil in heavy pot and brown chicken in batches. Set aside. Reduce heat and add flour, scraping up browned bits with spoon. Cook the roux until it colors to a light brown, mashing lumps.

Be careful not to burn. Whisk in 3 cups water and the wine and return chicken to pot. Simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour, covered. In Dutch oven, saute vegetables in butter until softened. Strain chicken stock through a colander, add to vegetables, and continue simmering. Skim fat as it rises. Stir in seasonings.

Meanwhile, cool chicken in a colander over a bowl and prepare the dumplings.

Remove meat from bones and add to Dutch oven, along with any drippings. Spoon in dumplings, cover and cook for 15 minutes, keeping stew at a slow boil. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer.

CHEESE HERB DUMPLINGS
These fluffy dumplings with crusty tops are excellent with chicken stew and may be adapted for beef stew by substituting rosemary and thyme for chervil and omitting the cheese Stir flour, salt, baking powder and chervil together. Stir in cheese. Mix egg, butter and milk together and stir into flour mixture to make a moist, stiff batter. Using 2 teaspoons, drop dumplings over bubbling stew. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, keeping stew at a slow boil. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer.

NOTES: The creamy richness of this traditional chicken stew comes from the roux, which is cooked slowly to a golden brown. Top the stew with Cheese-Herb Dumplings.