Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (4 lb) chicken, cut into serving pieces,plus gizzards,if any
1 small yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 celeriac, peeled and cubed ( about 3/4 pound)
2 parsley roots, peeled and cubed ( about 3 1/2 pounds total)
4 carrots, sliced ( about 1 pound)
10 small white onions, peeled ( about 1 1/2 pounds)
10 black peppercorns
1 bay leaves
1 1/2 quarts boiling water
2 cups shelled peas, fresh or frozen
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
Directions:
In a large casserole or stew pot, melt the butter over medium high heat.
Once it has stopped sizzling, brown the chicken, gizzards (if they are included), and chopped onion until golden, turning occasionally, about 12 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the chicken pieces and turn them to absorb the flour.
Add the celeriac, parsley roots, carrots, whole white onions, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
Cover with the boiling water, and bring to just below a boil.
Reduce the heat to very low, using a diffuser if necessary, and simmer until the meat is nearly falling off the bone and the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours.
At no time should the broth ever boil, otherwise the chicken will be tough.
Add the peas and cook for 10 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice.
While the stew is simmering, prepare the dumplings.
Drop the dough by the tablespoon on top of the stewing chicken, making sure the balls don’t sink into the gravy.
Cover and cook for 20 minutes without looking.
Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS: Stir together the eggs, flour, vegetable oil, salt and caraway seeds.
NOTE: Celeriac and Parsley Root are wonderful vegetables for a stew.
Both, though, are big, bulbous, root-like vegetables with lots of ugly, hairy-looking rootlets coming off the central portion.
The best celeriac is that of medium size, without secondary corms, and with a modest clump of leaves.
Peel celeriac before using.
Parsley root is grown specifically for large roots.
The texture and density of the root are similar to those of celeriac.
They store well.
Peel parsley root before using.
Clifford A.
Wright Real Stew.
Servings: 6
Time preparation: 20 min.
Time total: 140 min.