Chicken Hotpot with Dumplings Recipe

Here is a simple to make but classic dish. A chicken hotpot cooked in a pasta sauce base with mushrooms that's topped with flour dumplings which are baked until golden before serving.

A classic frugal dish that's given a bit of a twist to suit modern tastes.

Chicken Hotpot with Dumplings

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the Hotpot:

2 tbsp olive oil
10 chicken goujons (about 350g [23 lb]) or skinned chicken thighs, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced
150g (1/3 lb baby mushrooms, wiped to clean
2 celery sticks, sliced
400g (1 lb) vegetable pasta sauce
100ml red wine

For the Dumplings:

100g (3 1/2 oz) self-raising flour
50g (2 oz) suet
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp (heaped) caraway seeds
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in the base of an oven-proof casserole. Add the chicken pieces and fry gently for 3 minutes, or until just coloured. Add the onion, mushrooms and celery and cook for 3 minutes more.

Stir in the pasta sauce and red wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pan and cook whilst you prepare the dumplings.

For the dumplings, combine the flour, suet, egg, parsley and caraway seeds in a food processor. Season lightly then process to form a dough. Divide this mixture into eight pieces and shape into balls.

Stir the hotpot and adjust the seasoning to taste. Gently layer the dumplings on top then re-cover and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200ºC (400ºF, Gas Mark 6). Bake for 25 minutes, or until the dumplings have floated to the top of the stew. Remove the lid and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more, or until the tops of the dumplings have browned.

Serve hot, accompanied by mashed potatoes.