If anything defined last year for me it was comfort food. Amidst the stress of it all, I needed delicious, homestyle food that I could count on to taste good to combat the volatile nature of the news of the day.
I’m a huge fan of America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks mostly because they explain at the top of each recipe why this recipe works which gives me confidence that it is something delicious that can be counted on. I checked out America’s Test Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Revolution and stumbled upon old-fashioned chicken and dumplings.
Now this recipe is not of the dump-it-and-forget-it variety that many of us have come to expect with slow cooker recipes. It was a bit involved, however, it was worth it. Eating it was like a hug in a bowl and since we still can’t hug that many people, it was just what I needed.
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Stew
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 onion, minced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry sherry
- 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Review by Stephanie
