Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings

Using paper towels, pat the chicken thighs dry. Season both sides generously with Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Next, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Once it's very hot and shimmering, sear the chicken until it's golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear the other side until golden-brown, another 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.

Return the Dutch oven to the stove over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Then, add the shallots, celery, carrots, and a big pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté the veggies until they're slightly softened and starting to brown on the edges.

Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 30-60 seconds until the mixture is fragrant. Then, add the flour and sauté for 1 more minute to cook off the raw flour taste.

Slowly stir in the chicken broth and half-and-half, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Then, stir in the chopped chicken and any leftover juices. Add the chicken bouillon and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the broth has thickened slightly.

Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Right before adding the dumplings, stir the frozen peas into the soup.

While the soup simmers, make the dumpling batter. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and chives. Stir just until the batter is combined and there are no more streaks of flour.

Using a cupcake scoop, drop the batter in concentric circles on top of the simmering chicken soup. Cover the pot and gently simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Then, remove the lid and simmer the soup, uncovered, for another 10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle the dumplings with more chopped chives. Enjoy!