BEST EVER CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• To prepare Dumplings: Combine dry ingredients. Set aside. Combine eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients to form a stiff batter. Drop tablespoons into simmering stew. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. To prepare Sauce: In a Dutch oven, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 20 minutes until they are firm and puffy.