Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 2 roughly chopped celery stalks, plus 2 stalks, diced
  • 2 roughly chopped small carrots, plus 1, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 6 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth, heated
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 to 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces and backbone removed
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Buttermilk dumplings, recipe follows
  • Minced fresh chives or parsley, as a garnish
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons minced parsley or dill
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, or more, if necessary

Method

  • Melt the butter in a large, heavy casserole, add the onion, chopped celery, and chopped carrot, and cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  • Add the wine and reduce 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken stock, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, to taste.
  • Add the chicken to the pot and bring liquid to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, skimming and stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board.
  • When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones.
  • Cut chicken into bite-side pieces.
  • Skim surface of cooking liquid and strain it through a sieve into a large saucepan.
  • Add the diced vegetables, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the cream.
  • Add the cream mixture to the boiling stock, stirring, and simmer until lightly thickened.
  • Add chicken to saucepan and correct the seasoning adding the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring to a simmer and top with the dumplings, spacing them evenly.
  • Cover, reduce heat to moderate and simmer until dumplings are firm to the touch and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with chives or parsley.
  • Into a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add parsley, the pepper, and the butter and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  • Stir in just enough buttermilk to form a soft dough.
  • Gently pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thickness and stamp or cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.