Level: Easy
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (Serving Size: 1 of 8 servings): Calories 1124, Total Fat 67 g, Saturated Fat 20 g, Carbohydrates 47 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Sugar 7 g, Protein 80 g, Cholesterol 330 mg, Sodium 2044 mg
Total: 2 hr 10 min
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 40 min

Chicken and Stock:

1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) whole organic chicken
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
4 to 5 black peppercorns
1 head garlic, split through the equator
2 tablespoons salt

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Sauce:

2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) NEW: You can now switch to Cook Mode to keep your screen awake.
For the stock: Put the chicken and all the stock ingredients into a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender. Skim off any fat and foam as it cooks.
Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the stock and shred the meat into large piecesthe stock will be used for the sauce and the chicken will be added back in.
For the dumplings: Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, chives, and buttermilk; pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough forms; the batter should be thick and cake-like.
To prepare the sauce: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves, and saut until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue stirring and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove any starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add the frozen peas and pearl onions.
Let the sauce simmer until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream.
Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Using two spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce but not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped chives before serving.