Chicken and Dumplings

This is a seriously homey dish--perfect for a cozy winter Sunday when you're home for the long haul and have the time to let it cook for good, long time. I started this in the morning and let it simmer away on the back of my stove building layers of flavor through the afternoon until I was ready to devour an embarrassingly large portion of it that evening. The dumplings will be big and lumpy and awkward-looking, but still delicious. Just go with it. xo

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from My Father's Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients:
3 lbs. chicken thighs and legs
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 slice bacon, finely diced
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Fresh parsley, torn (for garnish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the chicken and aggressively season the pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and olive oil in the largest, widest oven-safe pot you have, at least 12 inches wide, with a lid, over medium-high heat. Thoroughly brown the chicken pieces, in batches if necessary (7-8 minutes per side), and remove to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Add the vegetables, bacon, bay leaf, and thyme to the pot and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.

Return the chicken to the pot. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and water, bring to a boil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a circle of parchment paper, and put the lid on top. Cook the chicken in your 400 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, half-and-half, and fine salt together in a bowl. Take the pot out of the oven, discard the parchment and scoop large spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture on top of the chicken mixture--you should end up with about 10 dumplings. Cover the pot and put back in the oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and bit more black pepper. Serve immediately, being sure to spoon plenty of juices over each portion.