6 to 8 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
3 pounds chicken thighs
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
Buttermilk (Room temp)
Seasonings
Yellow onion
Celery
Garlic
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s poultry magic
Dried thyme
Bay leaves
Tools you’ll need
Large or medium-sized ice cream scoop
Preparation of ingredients
Seasonings
Step 1- Chop half of a yellow onion, 2 ribs celery, and press 2 cloves garlic. Make sure you rinse off your celery before you chop it.
Chicken thighs 1
Step 2- Rinse chicken thighs off with cold water. Trim off any excess skin or fat from the chicken thighs.
Step 3- Place the chicken thighs into a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, and 1 teaspoon chef Paul Prudhomme’s poultry magic. Coat the seasonings onto the chicken thighs using your hands.
Searing the chicken thighs
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 4- Add 3 tablespoons salted butter into a large saucepan. Add the chicken thighs. Let sear for 2 minutes on each side. Place the chicken thighs onto a shallow bowl.
Making the roux
Step 5- Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour into the large saucepan with the pan drippings from the chicken thighs. Stir continuously for 3 to 4 minutes or until the roux is a light brown color. Turn fire off and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cooled roux into a small container or glass bowl.
Making the chicken stock
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 6- Spread a small amount of salted butter into a large 8-quart pot. Add 1 and 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion and 1 cup chopped yellow onion. Stir all ingredients together. Let sauté for 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 7- Add 8 cups water, 2 cloves pressed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon chef Paul Prudhomme’s poultry magic, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 4 bay leaves into the large pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let come to a simmer.
Step 8- Add seared chicken thighs. Stir all ingredients together. Let simmer for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 9- At the 30-minute mark, remove the chicken thighs and place them into a shallow bowl to cool. Cover your pot again with a lid and let simmer for 10 minutes. Once done turn your fire off. Let the stock cool for 10 minutes.
Straining the chicken stock
Step 10- Add the cooled chicken stock into a fat separator or a mesh strainer with a medium-sized bowl underneath it. You can add the seasonings leftover at the top of the fat separator or in the mesh strainer. Once done you should have 4 cups chicken stock left.
Chicken thighs 2
Step 11- Remove the skin and separate the meat off of the bones of the chicken thigh pieces. Shred the chicken thigh meat using your hands and set aside.
Dumpling dough
Step 12- Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together.
Step 13- Add 1 cup buttermilk (Room temp) and 1 stick 8 tablespoons melted salted butter. Stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until the mixture forms a dough and set aside.
Making the chicken gravy
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 14- Add the roux into a large pot. Note- the roux maybe thick because of the butter, but it will thin out as it is heated. Add the leftover seasonings from the fat separator or the mesh strainer. That is optional to add if you like. Stir all ingredients together.
Step 15- Add 4 cups homemade chicken stock, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, and 1/8 teaspoon chef Paul’s poultry magic. Stir all ingredients together. Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 16- Add chicken thigh meat. Stir all ingredients together.
Dropping the dumplings
Step 17- Pick up a medium-sized amount of the dumpling dough using an ice cream scoop. Quickly drop the dumpling dough into the pot of simmering liquid. Cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Do not stir during the cooking time.
Step 18- Turn your fire off. Let cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving. For best results, serve the next day so the flavors can settle and increase overnight.
YouTube instructional video
