Not Your Average Chicken Stew

I'm not really a stew person.  Meat, potatoes, veggies.....all sitting together in the same broth........getting mushy.  Not my thing.

I do love a good chowder though.  No, I lied.  I love a good Chowdah.  Because if you say the "er" at the end, then it's not authentic.  Sorry- it's true.  I may live below the Mason-Dixon Line now, but I grew up a Yankee.

I have a pretty dang awesome cousin who, like me, grew up North, but now lives South.  I got to visit her recently (YAY!) and while I was at her (fantastic) house, I flipped through a cookbook she had.  It is very rare that I will find a cookbook that I like some of the recipes in.  I never find one where I like all the recipes, but here it was.  The most wonderful cookbook I have ever beheld.  Dishing Up Maine: 165 Recipes That Capture Authentic Down East Flavors by Brooke Dojny. 

As soon as I got back home, I ordered a copy on Amazon.  (You can get your own copy here.)  As soon as it arrived at my door, I picked out my first recipe.  Shaker Chicken Stew With Scallion Dumplings on page 158.  The name Shaker refers to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community.  (Definitely try their dried herbs......they are unbelievable.)

Like I said, I'm not typically a stew person, but my Mom is and this one sounded really good.  It is a little more complex, because you actually cook the chicken in broth to make the stock, but it is definitely worth the work.  Before I added the dumplings, it made a really wonderful chicken soup. 
I tossed in some of the extra sliced up scallions for color.......

Before the Dumplings.......

After I made the dumplings and added them, the stew really claimed its character.....and my heart.  It went from a plain old chicken soup to a lovely, creamy (and hearty) stew.  It will definitely be a favorite recipe of mine for years to come. 

Hearty Heavliness........in a soup pot

Without further adieu, I give you the recipe.  (Although don't bank on me giving away ALL the recipes from this cookbook........just try this one and know that the book is definitely worth buying.)

Shaker Chicken Stew with Scallion Dumplings

Chicken Stew:

• 5 cups chicken broth
• 3.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, excess fat removed
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 large bay leaf, broken in half
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2.5 cups baby carrots (I did these in 1/2 inch slices)
• salt and pepper 

To make the chicken stew, bring the broth to a boil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.  Add the chicken, onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is about three-quarters cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.  Add the carrots and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes longer.  Remove from the heat

Remove the chicken to a plate and, when cool enough to handle, strip off the skin, remove the meat from the bones, and cut into 2 inch chunks.  Return the chicken meat to the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scallion Dumplings:

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons minced scallions or chives
• 3 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into five pieces
• 1/2 cup (plus 1-2 tablespoons) milk

To make the scallion dumplings, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in the scallions.  Work the shortening into the flour mixture, using your fingertips or a fork, until most of the pieces are about the size of small peas.  Add 1/2 cup milk and stir with a fork until the dough comes together in a sticky mass.  If the mixture seems dry, add some or all of the remaining 1-2 tablespoons of milk.  (They really do mean sticky....)

Return the stew to a simmer.  Dip a tablespoon into the simmering liquid, scoop out a rounded spoonful of dumpling dough, and drop it into the simmering stew.  Repeat with the remaining dough, forming 12-14 dumplings.  Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the dumplings look shiny on top and are firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.

ENJOY!!!!