Chicken and Dumplings

With a whole bowl of pork dumpling mixture waiting for me to get home tonight, I decided that something simple would be good for dinner. With it being the peak of the fall season here in Fairbanks I also was craving something hearty as well. This is my quick Chicken and Dumpling recipe. David says this should go on the weekly winter menu. We will have to do some serious skiing if we eat this every week this winter! By the way that recipe from last night made way more than 40 potstickers.

Chicken and Dumplings
Stew
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 carrots , peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 ribs celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion , minced
6 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 rotisserie chicken
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Dumplings
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled

Stew: Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves.
Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, add it to the stew. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.
Discard the bay leaves. Bring the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.