Chicken & dumplings

This recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.  Its was full of flavor, easy to make, and hearty.  I added sage to mine because I love the taste of sage with any chicken dish.

Ingredients:

2 TB unsalted butter

2 TB olive oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1 whole chicken, cut up

1/2 tsp sea salt, pepper and paprika

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup onions, chopped

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

6 cups chicken broth

1/2-1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup heavy cream

Dumplings:

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal 

1 heaping TB baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 - 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (or half & half)

Directions:

Mix flour, sea salt, pepper and paprika in a large mixing bowl.  Dredge chicken in flour.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large stock pot.  Brown chicken in oil/butter.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Brown celery, carrots and onion in the same oil/butter you used for the chicken.  You should have some crispy goodness floating around in the pan by now.  I never peel my carrots, just wash them thoroughly.  Stir, and let cook for about 8 minutes.  Add the chicken back into the pan and add chicken broth, thyme, sage, apple cider and heavy cream.  Let simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.  While the chicken is cooking, make the dough for the dumplings.  Mix together dry ingredients, then add buttermilk a little at a time.  Don't over mix.  The dough should be moist, but not wet.  Remove the chicken from the pan and pick the meat off with two forks, or just use your hands like I do.  You have to remember to let it cool a little first!  Ouch!  Put the shredded chicken back into the pan, and drop in the dumplings making them tablespoon size.  Or you can just use your hands (again) like I do and just pick out little balls of dough and drop it in the pan.  Let simmer for 15 minutes.  Complete goodness!