Cold Snaps And Warm Dumplings

Just as Spring was slowly starting to warm us up, Winter treated us to a final cold snap. I celebrated (because weather, good or bad, should always be celebrated!) by cooking what might be my last stew for the season. I thought long and hard about what it would be and finally chose an all time classic – chicken and dumplings!

I don’t have a recipe for the stew, as I usually just brown off some chopped chicken breasts which I’ve tossed in flour and then cook them in a stock with vegetables such as carrot, celery, mushrooms and parsnip. 

When the stew is almost cooked I add the dumplings. It is these pillowy delights that make this humble dish a truly warm and comforting treat.

Dumplings

 

Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
100ml milk

Instructions
Place the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
Rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Stir in enough milk until you have a batter of dropping consistency.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into simmering stew.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.