📋 Instructions

1. 1Brown the chicken — Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat (about 375°F/190°C) and sear the chicken thighs 4 minutes per side until golden brown. They don't need to be cooked through yet, just deeply browned for flavor.
2. 2Soften the aromatics — Lower the heat to medium (about 350°F/175°C) and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns translucent and smells sweet.
3. 3Bloom the garlic and flour — Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, then sprinkle the flour over everything and stir constantly for 1 minute until it coats the vegetables and smells toasty, not raw.
4. 4Build the broth — Pour in the broth slowly while whisking so no flour lumps form, then add the thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer (about 200°F/93°C) and cook 15 minutes until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
5. 5Shred and enrich — Lift the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and return it to the pot. Stir in the cream and simmer 3 minutes until the broth thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, with small bubbles at the edges.
6. 6Mix the dumplings — Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then stir in the milk and melted butter just until combined. The dough should be soft, shaggy, and sticky, not smooth.
7. 7Drop and steam — Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and drop heaping tablespoons of dough over the surface, spacing them slightly apart. Cover and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. 8Finish and serve — Discard the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, and taste for salt. Ladle into bowls with plenty of broth and a final shower of parsley on top.