Donal Skehan: Home Cook airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.

Ingredients

Serves: 4–6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 6 hours

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 chicken thighs (bone in and skin on)
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 celery sticks, chopped
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 3–4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 400ml (13⁄4 cups) chicken stock
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Flat leaf parsley, to serve

For the dumplings:

  • 60g (21⁄4oz) cold butter
  • 150g (generous 1 cup) self-raising flour
  • Good pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp snipped chives
  • 50g (2oz) grated Cheddar
  • 100ml (scant 1⁄2 cup) buttermilk (or use milk or natural yoghurt)

Method

  1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a frying pan, or using the sauté function of your slow cooker. Add the chicken and brown all over, then set aside.
  2. In the same pan the chicken was cooked in, add the onion, celery and carrot and sweat slowly for 5 minutes before adding the garlic and thyme.
  3. Stir in the plain flour then slowly add stock and bubble for a minute or two. Add the chicken back into the pan and season well.
  4. Simmer over a low heat for 1 & ½ hours, or in an oven preheated to 160°C/140°C fan/320°F/Gas Mark 3 for 1 & ½ hours. (Alternatively, you can cook in your slow cooker on low for 5 hours).
  5. About 1 hour before the end of the cooking time, make the dumplings. Rub the butter and flour together with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs then add the salt, chives and cheese. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Combine to form a soft dough.
  6. If you're cooking in a slow cooker, increase the temperature to high.
  7. Tear golf ball-sized pieces from the dough and dot all over the surface of the stew. Recover with the lid and cook for a further hour.
  8. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.