Pesto chicken stew with cheesy dumplings

I am not a great fan of pesto usually but this is divine! You can also make it without the dumplings if you are in a rush...

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 Tblsp olive oil

12 - 15 chicken thighs, skin removed and bone in

200g smoked bacon lardons or chopped bacon

1 large onion, chopped

4 celery sticks, chopped

3 leeks, chopped

4 Tblsp plain flour

200ml white wine

1 litre chicken stock

2 bay leaves

200g frozen peas

140g fresh pesto

Small bunch basil, chopped

For the dumplings:

140g butter

250g self-raising flour

100g Parmesan, grated

50g pine nuts

Method:

1.  Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and brown the chicken until its golden all over. Do this in batches and set the chicken aside. (While you wait for it to brown, chop the onion, celery and leeks.)

2. Add the lardons to the pan and fry for a few minutes. Add the onion, celery and leeks and sauté over a medium heat for 8-10minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir regularly. Stir in the flour, season and cook for a few couple of minutes.

3. Gradually stir in the wine and then the stock. Return the chicken to the pan with the bay leaves and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1.5hours or until the chicken is tender.

4. Heat the oven to 200oC. Add the peas, pesto and basil to the stew. 

5. To make the dumplings, rub the butter and flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the grated cheese and add 150ml water (slowly) and mix together to form a light and sticky dough. Break off into walnut-sized lumps and shape into small balls. Roll the tops of the dumplings in the pine nuts so a few stick to the outside, then place the dumplings on top of the stew and scatter the stew with the remaining pine nuts.

6. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 25minutes until the dumplings are golden brown and cooked through.

Serve with mashed potato and some other vegetables on the side.