Spring green chicken stew with cheddar dumplings
- Cassie Best
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Serves 4
Easy
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
A star rating of 3.9 out of 5.7 ratingsRate
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Make a transitional Sunday lunch for when spring is just around the corner. Fresh pesto lifts the flavour of this stew, but you can substitute it with a jar
Freezable
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Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
2 tbsp olive oil
-
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
-
100g smoked bacon lardons
pancetta or chopped bacon
-
1 large onion
chopped
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1 leek
chopped
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2 garlic cloves
crushed
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2 tbsp plain flour
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100ml white wine
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500ml chicken stock
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2 bay leaves
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100g fresh pesto
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small bunch of basil
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80g watercress
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100g frozen peas
For the dumplings
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125g butter
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200g self-raising flour
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75g extra mature cheddar
grated
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Nutrition: Per serving
-
kcal1022
-
fat65g
-
saturates28g
-
carbs57g
-
sugars8g
-
fibre7g
high
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protein46g
-
salt3.44g
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Method
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step 1
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides until golden all over (you may have to do this in batches). Remove to a plate and set aside.
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step 2
Fry the lardons in the dish for a few minutes, then add the onions and leeks. Cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the flour. Season and cook for 2 mins more.
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step 3
Slowly stir in the wine and cook until it has bubbled away, then stir in the stock. Return the chicken to the dish along with the bay leaves and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 mins-1 hr, or until the chicken is tender. Once completely cool, the stew will keep frozen for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pan before continuing.
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step 4
Put the pesto, most of the basil, the watercress and a ladleful of hot liquid from the dish in a food processor or blender. Blitz to a loose green paste, pour into the stew and add the peas. Remove from the heat.
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step 5
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To make the dumplings, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in half the grated cheese and some seasoning, then add 110ml water, mixing it in using a cutlery knife to form a light, sticky dough. Break off walnut-sized lumps of the dough and shape into small balls.
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step 6
Put the dumplings on top of the stew, then scatter over the remaining cheese. Transfer the dish to the oven. Bake for 25 mins until the dumplings are golden brown and cooked through. Scatter over the remaining basil to serve.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2025
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A star rating of 3.9 out of 5.7 ratings
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