Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt for dumplings
  • 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, grated
  • 0.75 cup cold buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

  1. Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 6-8 minutes until mahogany-colored. Flip and sear for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  2. In the rendered fat, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic and dried thyme, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaf. Return the chicken thighs to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes to extract collagen.
  4. While the base simmers, prepare the dumpling dough: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a box grater to incorporate cold butter. Gently stir in buttermilk and parsley until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
  5. Remove chicken from the pot, shred meat into large chunks (discarding bones and skin), and return meat to the broth.
  6. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the surface of the simmering broth. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 15 minutes. Do not peek during this process to ensure the dumplings remain light and airy.