Chef John's Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken , 3 to 3 1/2 pound
• 2.5 quartss cold water
• 1 large carrot , cubed
• 1 stalk celery , chopped
• 1 onion , chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour , or as needed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 0.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper , or more to taste
• 0.5 cups creme fraiche
• 0.5 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 4 sprigs thyme , for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Place chicken in a Dutch oven. Add water, carrot, celery, onion, 3 sprigs of thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken from dutch oven and transfer to a bowl; set aside to cool.

2. 2

   Increase heat and bring the stock to a simmer. Skim off any chicken fat that appears on top of the stock and reserve in a bowl. Combine 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved fat with flour in a small bowl; stir to make a paste, adding more flour if needed. Add the chicken fat and flour mixture to the stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Remove chicken meat from the carcass and add to the stock. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Whisk creme fraiche, milk, 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves, and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in self-rising flour until almost entirely incorporated; do not overmix.

5. 5

   Scoop large dollops of dumpling mixture on top of the chicken stock. Increase heat slightly to medium-high. Cover and simmer until dumplings appear light and fluffy, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve garnish with thyme sprigs.