Chicken and Dumplings

Serves: 4 Ingredients For the Stew: • 48 oz / 1361 g bone-in split chicken breasts, all visible fat trimmed • Sea salt and pepper, to taste • 0.24 oz / 6.8 g coconut oil • 8.6 oz / 244 g carrots (approx. 4 medium), peeled and cut into 0.75-inch pieces • 7.8 oz / 220 g onions (approx. 2 medium), finely chopped • 1.4 oz / 40 g celery (approx. 1 rib), minced • 2.1 oz / 59 g dry sherry • 50.1 oz / 1420 g Chicken Broth or Stock • 1.1 oz / 30 g tapioca or arrowroot flour • 0.035 oz / 1 g fresh thyme, minced (or 0.01 oz / 0.25 g dried thyme) • 0.14 oz / 4 g fresh parsley, minced For the Dumplings: • 10 oz / 284 g tapioca or arrowroot flour • 1.4 oz / 40 g coconut flour • 0.21 oz / 6 g sea salt • 0.08 oz / 2.3 g baking soda • 6.2 oz / 177 g coconut milk, chilled • 0.04 oz / 1.25 g lemon juice • 0.96 oz / 27.2 g coconut oil, melted • 1.16 oz / 33 g large egg white (approx. 1) Instructions Step 1: Prepare and Brown the Chicken 1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season them generously with sea salt and pepper. 2. Heat the 0.24 oz / 6.8 g of coconut oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. 3. Carefully place the chicken in the pot and brown it well on all sides, for 10 to 12 minutes. 4. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate. Once it's cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Step 2: Cook the Vegetables 1. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and 0.21 oz / 6 g of sea salt to the remaining fat in the Dutch oven. 2. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. 3. Stir in the dry sherry, using a spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Step 3: Simmer the Stew 1. Pour in the chicken broth, add the thyme, and return the chicken (along with any juices from the plate) to the pot. 2. Bring the stew to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook until the chicken is cooked through and registers 160°F (71°C), which should take about 20 minutes. Step 4: Shred the Chicken 1. Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a plate. 2. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into large, bite-sized pieces. Discard the bones. Step 5: Prepare the Dumpling Dough 1. While the chicken cools, make the dumplings. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours (tapioca/arrowroot and coconut), sea salt, and baking soda. 2. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the chilled coconut milk, lemon juice, and melted coconut oil. Whisk in the egg white. 3. Pour the wet coconut milk mixture into the dry flour mixture. Use a fork to stir until the dough is just incorporated (do not overmix). 4. Grease your hands and a tablespoon. Use the spoon to scoop equal portions of dough, then roll them between your greased hands to form individual dumplings. Set them aside. Step 6: Cook the Dumplings and Finish 1. Return the stew to a simmer. Stir in the shredded chicken and the minced fresh parsley. Taste the stew and season with additional sea salt and pepper if needed. 2. Gently drop the prepared dumplings on top of the simmering stew, leaving about one inch apart. 3. Wrap the lid of the Dutch oven with a clean kitchen towel (making sure the towel is secured and stays away from the heat source). Cover the pot tightly. 4. Cook over low heat for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the dumplings are firm and cooked through. 5. Serve the chicken and dumplings hot.  

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Chicken and dumplings is the bowl of comfort everyone remembers — rebuilt grain-free. Bone-in chicken browns and simmers with carrots, onion and celery into a proper stew, then soft tapioca-coconut dumplings steam right on top. The towel-wrapped lid is the trick that makes them perfect.

Pro Tips

• Brown the chicken a full 10-12 minutes on all sides before it simmers — those browned bits are the flavor the whole stew stands on. Discard the skin once it's cool enough to handle.
• Deglaze with the dry sherry and scrape up every bit from the bottom of the pot before the broth goes in.
• Don't overmix the dumpling dough — stir until just incorporated, then roll the portions between greased hands and a greased spoon.
• Drop the dumplings about an inch apart onto the simmering stew so they steam individually instead of fusing into one mass.
• Wrap the Dutch oven lid with a clean kitchen towel before covering — it soaks up condensation so no water drips onto the dumplings. Cook low for 13-16 minutes until they're firm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why wrap the lid in a towel?

Steam condenses on the lid and drips back down — on dumplings, that means soggy tops. The towel catches the moisture and keeps the dumplings fluffy.

What are the dumplings made of?

A grain-free dough of tapioca and coconut flours bound with chilled coconut milk, egg white and melted coconut oil. They steam up tender and light.

Why bone-in chicken breasts?

Simmering the bone-in breasts builds the broth as they cook, and the meat stays juicy. Shred it into large pieces once it's cool enough to handle.

Can I make the stew ahead?

The stew base and shredded chicken hold well, but make and drop the dumplings fresh — they're at their fluffy best straight from the pot.

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