Chicken and Dumplings

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 7 cups chicken broth from Belles Chicken Soup (Love Note 1)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 5 ribs celery, diced (2 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 5 cups cooked chicken (you can use the cooked chicken from making Belles Chicken Soup; remove the skin and pick the meat off the bones, keeping the meat in large chunks; or cook a 3-pound chicken)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, for garnish

1. To make the gravy:
2. In a large (8- to 10-quart), heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
3. Add the flour and mix well to make a roux.
4. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles fine, wet sand, about 3 minutes.
5. Whisk the broth into the roux a little at a time, allowing the roux to absorb the liquid before adding more (this will help prevent lumps).
6. Add the salt, pepper, carrots, and celery.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, and then lower the heat and gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Keep stirring occasionally and skim off any scum (Love Note 2) that rises to the surface.
9. To make the dumplings:
10. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and parsley together in a large bowl, and then cut in the butter using a pastry blender, two knives, or a whisk until its in small pieces.
11. (Alternatively, you can use a food processor: Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
12. Pulse several times to combine.
13. Add the parsley and pulse once or twice to incorporate.
14. Add the butter and pulse until it is in small pieces.)
15. Add the milk and stir or pulse once or twice to moisten the flour mixture.
16. (Do not overmix or you will develop the gluten in the flour and the dumplings will be chewy.)
17. Gather the dough into a ball.
18. Using a large spoon or your hands, scoop out 1/4-cup chunks of dough, lightly roll them between your palms to round them out, and then drop into the simmering gravy (its ok if they sink), spacing them apart.
19. Cover the pot and simmer until the dumplings are done (a knife inserted in the center should come out clean), about 20 minutes.
20. (Avoid lifting the lid while the dumplings are cooking because it slows down the cooking process, and if youre lookin youre not cookin!)
21. To serve:
22. Gently stir the cooked chicken into the pot with the dumplings, return the liquid to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes to heat the chicken through.
23. Using a serving spoon or tongs, divide the chicken and dumplings among soup bowls.
24. Ladle the gravy over the dumplings and chicken, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

unsalted butter, flour, chicken broth from belles, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, carrots, celery, flour, baking powder, kosher salt, fresh italian, cold unsalted butter, milk, chicken, fresh italian

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/chicken-and-dumplings (may not work)