Hearty chicken and dumpling stew

Comfort, spice and all things nice…

Beloved South African food blogger and TikTok sensation Kim Bagley takes us along on her culinary journey as she shares some of her family’s favourite meals. Try this hearty stew from her best-selling cookbook Cooking with Kim Bagley.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus rising time
Cooking time: 1 hour

Dumplings

• 250 ml (1 cup) cake flour
• 10 ml (2 tsp) sugar
• 7.5 ml (1½ tsp) instant yeast
• 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic and herb seasoning
• 5 ml (1 tsp) mixed herbs
• 1 ml (¼ tsp) ground turmeric
• 125 ml (½ cup) warm water
• Oil, for kneading

Spice rub

• 5 ml (1 tsp) BBQ spice
• 5 ml (1 tsp) cayenne pepper
• 5 ml (1 tsp) paprika
• 5 ml (1 tsp) garlic and herb seasoning

Stock

• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 50 g tomato paste
• 15 ml (1 Tbs) sugar
• 625 ml (2½ cups) boiling water

1. Dumplings Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar, yeast, garlic and herb seasoning, mixed herbs and turmeric and stir to mix through. Add in the warm water and knead for 5 minutes. Oil your hands and the countertop to prevent the dough sticking.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area for about 1 hour while you prepare the stew, or until it has doubled in volume. After an hour,
cut into 8 equal parts. Roll into balls, cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Spice rub Combine all the spices together to make a spice rub. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, add the spice rub and stir to coat. Drizzle with the olive oil. Mix through and set
aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

3. Stock Place all the ingredients in a large jug. Whisk and set aside.

4. Chicken stew Place a large pot on medium heat and add the cooking oil. Place the marinated chicken skin side down and sauté for 5 minutes on both sides or until
golden. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

5. To the same pot, add the bay leaves and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the celery, garlic and ginger paste, carrots, rosemary and thyme. Add the sautéed chicken pieces and three-quarters of the prepared stock. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

6. Add the 2-in-1 stew mix to the remaining stock and stir it through. Add the mixture to the chicken and stir through.