Chicken & Dumplings – Stewed Chicken with Thyme Crème Fraiche "Dumplins"

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I’m calling this chicken and “dumplings” for search enginepurposes, but these came out so well that internally we going with chicken and“dumplins.” That’s right, if your dumplings really rock, you’re allowed to dropthe “g.” It’s the highest honor one can bestow on this humble dish.
The wonderful thing about this dumpling recipe, besides itsease, is how truly versatile it is. I’m not even referring to the actualdumpling batter, which of course can be tweaked with various herb and/or dairysubstitutions, but to the delivery system beneath these puffy pillows of pleasure.
These dumplings can be steamed over virtually any flavorfulsoup or stew-like substance. The rule of thumb is; if you can simmer it, youcan cook a dumpling on it. However, as I mention in the video, the thinner theliquid, the easier and better the dumplings will steam.
If you do prefer a thicker stew, simply fortify your mixturewith a standard roux before you add the picked chicken back in. We’ve made likea hundred rouxs, so I’ll assume you can cook 1/4 cup of butter together with a1/4 cup of flour for a couple minutes without major incident. 

If this is your first batch of dumplings ever, then I'd recommend going with the soupy base you see here. Once you get the dumplin(g)s down, you can start to experiment with thicker, more interesting stews.
So, whether you go thick or thin, crème friache orbuttermilk, thyme or rosemary, or any another other approved variation (FYI:all variations are pre-approved), I hope you give this classic American comfortfood a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large servings:For the stewed chicken:1 whole chicken (about 3.5-4 pounds)1 onion, cubed1 large celery rib, cubed1 large carrot, cubed1 bay leaf3-4 springs of thyme2 1/2 quarts cold water salt, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper to taste*thicken mixture slightly with 2-3 tbsp chicken fat mixed with2-3 tbsp flourFor dumplings:1/2 cup crème fraiche1/2 cup milk2 eggs2 tsp fresh chopped thyme leaves2 cups self-rising flour* If you don’t have SR flour (which does work better here)you can use 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted with 3 teaspoons baking powder and1teaspoon fine table salt.