Chicken and Leek Casserole with Tarragon Dumplings

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 800g chicken thigh fillets, coarsely chopped
• 50g butter
• 200g button mushrooms, halved
• 2 large leeks, pale section only, thickly sliced, washed, dried
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock
• 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
• 60ml (1/4 cup) thin cream
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 x quantity tarragon & mustard dumplings variation (see related recipe)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add one-quarter of the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until brown. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat, in 3 batches, with the remaining oil and chicken, reheating oil between batches.
2. Melt half the butter in the same pan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until brown. Transfer to a bowl. Melt remaining butter in pan and add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek softens. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until mixture bubbles and thickens. Add chicken, mushrooms and chicken stock and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer mixture to a 2.5L (10-cup) capacity ovenproof dish and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Remove from oven.
4. Increase oven to 200°C. Make the dumplings according to the recipe (see related recipe; cutting method), up to the end of step 3.
5. Arrange the dumplings over the chicken casserole. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a dumpling comes out clean and dumplings are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 190g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
• 60g butter, chilled, cubed
• 125ml (1/2 cup) milk
• 500ml (2 cups) cooking liquid such as chicken stock (for savoury dishes) or water (for sweet)

Method

1. Place the flour in a medium bowl. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, place the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix together until just combined. (It is important not to overwork the mixture as this will result in chewy dumplings.)
3. Drop method: Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Use a teaspoon to scoop equal quantities of the dumpling mixture onto the lined tray (use a second teaspoon to carefully release the dumpling mixture from the first spoon). Cutting method: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently with your hands, by pressing and then turning, about 4-5 times or until the dough is just smooth. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand until it is about 1.5cm thick. Use a 3cm-diameter round pastry cutter dipped in flour to cut out 20 dumplings.
4. Place the cooking liquid in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower dumplings into the hot stock or water and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a dumpling comes out clean.
5. Serve the dumplings in soups or casseroles, or for dessert drizzled with butterscotch sauce or golden syrup and cream.

Notes

• 
  Variations: Hazelnut: Replace 40g (1/4 cup) of the flour with 40g (1/3 cup) hazelnut meal in step 1. Tarragon & mustard: Add 1 tbs coarsely chopped fresh tarragon and 1 tbs wholegrain mustard in step 1.