Ingredients

12 skinless chicken

3 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 onions

2 carrots

200g bacon lardon

3 bay leaves

3 sprigs thyme

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 chicken stock cube

140g cold butter

250g self-raising flour

Prep: 30 MINS
Cook: 1 HR, 10 MINS

Method

1)Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Toss the chicken pieces with the flour and some salt and pepper, to coat them – it’s easy to do this in a plastic food bag.

2)Heat the oil in a casserole with a lid.

Brown the chicken pieces well on all sides – you’ll need to do this in batches.

Remove all the pieces to a plate, and tip the onions, carrot, lardons, bay and thyme into the pan.

Cook gently for 10 mins until the onion is softened.

3)Return the chicken pieces, with any juices that have collected on the plate.

 Add a splash of water if you need, until the chicken is almost covered.

Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 20 mins.

4)Remove the lid and bake for another 10 mins while you make the dumplings.


Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it feels like fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the herbs with ½ tsp salt and some pepper.

Drizzle over 150ml water, and stir in quickly with a cutlery knife to form a light dough.

Use floured hands to shape into ping pong sized balls.