French Country Chicken & DumplingsFrench Country Chicken & Dumplings

Simmer the drumsticks

Put the drumsticks in a large pot and pour in about 8 cups of chicken stock, enough to cover them. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and bring it just to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about an hour, until the meat is tender and pulls easily away from the bone.

You can do this step a day ahead. Refrigerate the drumsticks in their stock and pick up at step 2.

Pull the chicken and save the stock

Lift the drumsticks out and let them cool enough to handle. Pull the meat from the bones and tear it into generous bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones, cartilage and skin. Strain the stock if needed, skim off excess fat, and measure out about 4 cups, keeping more nearby.

Brown the butter, then soften the vegetables

Melt the 2 tablespoons of salted butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom. When the foam settles and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, 3 to 5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sage and stir for 30 to 45 seconds, until fragrant.

Brown the butter in a light-colored pot if you have one so you can see the color change. Keep the heat moderate once the vegetables go in so the browned bits do not scorch.

Make the gravy

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Gradually whisk in the stock to keep it smooth. Simmer gently for 8 to 12 minutes, until the carrots begin to soften and the gravy thickens. Stir in the Dijon and black pepper.

Return the chicken

Add the pulled chicken and the cream and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes. The gravy should coat a spoon but stay loose enough to simmer the dumplings, so add a little more stock if it gets too thick.

Taste before adding any salt. The stock and the browned butter are already salted.

Mix the dumplings

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it is in small, pea-sized pieces. Stir in the parsley and the sage, if using, then add the milk and mix with a fork just until a soft, shaggy dough forms.

Do not knead it. Overmixing makes tough dumplings.

Drop and steam

Bring the stew back to a gentle simmer. Use two spoons to drop 8 to 10 golf-ball-sized portions across the surface, leaving room for them to grow. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 18 minutes, keeping the lid on for the first 15. Cut one open to check: it should be fluffy all the way through, with no wet dough. If not, cover for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Finish and serve

Scatter over the rest of the parsley, taste, and adjust the salt and pepper. For a final rich note, stir in a small pat of butter if you like. Let the pot rest for 5 minutes, then serve in warm bowls.