Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 2 pinches salt
- 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 2 leeks (sliced)
- 2 celery sticks (sliced)
- ½ cup mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup self-raising flour
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
Directions
Season the flour with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken pieces in the flour to coat. Heat half the oil in the casserole and fry the chicken, turning often, for 6 minutes, or until brown all over. Remove and keep warm. Pour the fat from the pan.
Add the remaining oil, carrots, leeks, celery and mushrooms to the casserole, and stir over the heat for 3-4 minutes to color lightly. Return the chicken to the casserole, and add the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, place the flour in a bowl and stir in the suet, parsley, and dried herbs, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 5-6 tablespoons cold water, or just enough to make a soft, not sticky, dough. With lightly floured hands, divide into 12 balls.
Remove the casserole lid and arrange the dumplings over the top. Cover and simmer for a further 20 minutes, or until the dumplings are risen and fluffy.
Preheat your oven to 400° F.
Pour the gravy into your chicken stew that is now in the ovenproof baking dish.
Gently stir the gravy with a spatula to combine.
Place the dumplings on top of the chicken stew with gravy.
To brown the dumplings, put the casserole dish into the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Keep an eye on them so they do not burn but just get them get a little brown.
Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.