purple.alien.giraffe
Executive Chef
This recipe came about one summer when it was too hot to use the oven or slow cooker but I was craving a rich chicken dish.
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs (don't use boneless skinless)
1 celery root, cleaned and peeled
3 or 4 carrots, skin on but thoroughly washed
2 or 3 parsnips, skin on but thoroughly washed
1 large onion (softball size or larger)
8oz sliced mushrooms, thoroughly washed
1 cup roughly chopped fresh celery leaves (or fresh parsley)
6 to 8 individual branches fresh thyme
4 to 6 fresh sage leaves
4 sprigs rosemary about 3 inches long
2 to 3 cloves garlic (about 2 inches cubed worth)
2 bay leaves
1 cup red wine (I use a semi-sweet red blend because it caramelizes at the bottom and is super good)
mixed peppercorns (or black pepper)
make up your favorite biscuit style dumpling dough, enough for 4 to 6 large dumplings, I use Bisquick (yes, really)
2 tbsp salted butter (I'm extremely low salt in my cooking and usually use unsalted butter so yes, it really does need to be salted butter)
Directions
Chop the carrots and parsnips into about 2 inch pieces. Chop onion, and celery root into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Remove leaves from celery stalks and coarsely chop the leaves until you have about 1 cup (or coarsely chop about 1 cup of fresh parsley). These can be set aside in a bowl together. (I buy celery root with the leafy celery stems still attached. Easiest way to get the celery leaf. The remaining stalks and leaves are good for flavoring soups and stews.)
Make up dumpling dough. Cover and set aside in fridge.
Prep the fresh herbs so they are already separated into correct amounts. They can be put in bundles on a small plate and set aside.
Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and put the skin in your dutch oven while it's still cold (I used one of the heavy bottomed, stainless steal ones with the glass lids). Lightly salt both sides of the chicken thighs if desired.
Place a dutch oven on the stove and turn the burner up to medium high heat. Let the chicken skins render as the pan heats and then brown them. Remove them from the pan and discard (or cool and feed to the cat/dog or eat if you like them). Remove excess oil if needed, you want just enough to brown the chicken in. Grind a little of the mixed peppercorns into the pan or sprinkle in a little black pepper. Place the thighs in the pan with the top of them down. Brown and then flip. When the bottom sides are also browned reduce heat to medium or just under medium.
Lift each thigh up on one side enough to place a sage leaf under it. After putting all the sage leaves in place put a sprig of rosemary on each thigh and scatter the thyme sprigs all over the thighs. Put the two bay leaves in the center of everything. Spoon the mix of vegetables on top spreading them out evenly. Add the red wine, pouring evenly over the vegetables. Add the mushrooms.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes, then spoon the dumpling dough on top of the vegetables to make. Cover and continue cooking the additional 45 minutes.
In the last few minutes of cooking time melt the salted butter in a separate dish. Once everything is done spoon or brush the melted butter onto the dumplings to complete them.
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs (don't use boneless skinless)
1 celery root, cleaned and peeled
3 or 4 carrots, skin on but thoroughly washed
2 or 3 parsnips, skin on but thoroughly washed
1 large onion (softball size or larger)
8oz sliced mushrooms, thoroughly washed
1 cup roughly chopped fresh celery leaves (or fresh parsley)
6 to 8 individual branches fresh thyme
4 to 6 fresh sage leaves
4 sprigs rosemary about 3 inches long
2 to 3 cloves garlic (about 2 inches cubed worth)
2 bay leaves
1 cup red wine (I use a semi-sweet red blend because it caramelizes at the bottom and is super good)
mixed peppercorns (or black pepper)
make up your favorite biscuit style dumpling dough, enough for 4 to 6 large dumplings, I use Bisquick (yes, really)
2 tbsp salted butter (I'm extremely low salt in my cooking and usually use unsalted butter so yes, it really does need to be salted butter)
Directions
Chop the carrots and parsnips into about 2 inch pieces. Chop onion, and celery root into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Remove leaves from celery stalks and coarsely chop the leaves until you have about 1 cup (or coarsely chop about 1 cup of fresh parsley). These can be set aside in a bowl together. (I buy celery root with the leafy celery stems still attached. Easiest way to get the celery leaf. The remaining stalks and leaves are good for flavoring soups and stews.)
Make up dumpling dough. Cover and set aside in fridge.
Prep the fresh herbs so they are already separated into correct amounts. They can be put in bundles on a small plate and set aside.
Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and put the skin in your dutch oven while it's still cold (I used one of the heavy bottomed, stainless steal ones with the glass lids). Lightly salt both sides of the chicken thighs if desired.
Place a dutch oven on the stove and turn the burner up to medium high heat. Let the chicken skins render as the pan heats and then brown them. Remove them from the pan and discard (or cool and feed to the cat/dog or eat if you like them). Remove excess oil if needed, you want just enough to brown the chicken in. Grind a little of the mixed peppercorns into the pan or sprinkle in a little black pepper. Place the thighs in the pan with the top of them down. Brown and then flip. When the bottom sides are also browned reduce heat to medium or just under medium.
Lift each thigh up on one side enough to place a sage leaf under it. After putting all the sage leaves in place put a sprig of rosemary on each thigh and scatter the thyme sprigs all over the thighs. Put the two bay leaves in the center of everything. Spoon the mix of vegetables on top spreading them out evenly. Add the red wine, pouring evenly over the vegetables. Add the mushrooms.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes, then spoon the dumpling dough on top of the vegetables to make. Cover and continue cooking the additional 45 minutes.
In the last few minutes of cooking time melt the salted butter in a separate dish. Once everything is done spoon or brush the melted butter onto the dumplings to complete them.
