Serves 4
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 1½ hours
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 parsnips, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
175 g (6 oz) swede, cut into chunks
50 g (2 oz) pearl barley
350 ml (12 fl oz) bottle pale ale
300 ml (½ pint) chicken stock
2 teaspoons prepared English mustard
salt and pepper
Dumplings
175 g (6 oz) self-raising flour
75 g (3 oz) light shredded suet
4 tablespoons chopped chives
100–125 ml (3½–4 floz) cold water
Put the oil in a flameproof casserole over a high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and onion, and fry for about 5 minutes until golden.
Stir in the remaining vegetables and cook for 2 minutes until starting to soften, then mix in the pearl barley, ale, stock and mustard. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to a preheated oven, 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4, for 1 hour.
Make the dumplings almost at the end of the chicken stew’s cooking time. Mix together the flour, suet and chives in a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Stir in enough of the measurement water, adding a little at a time, to mix to a soft, slightly sticky dough. Shape dessertspoons of the mixture into balls.
Remove the chicken stew from the oven, transfer to the hob and stir through. When the stock is boiling, carefully add the dumplings so that they sit on the surface, leaving space around each one. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the dumplings are light and fluffy and the chicken is cooked through. (Keeping the lid on while cooking makes the dumplings rise well). Spoon into warm shallow bowls to serve.
For chicken hotpot, omit the dumplings and cover the top of the stew with 625 g (1¼ lb) peeled and thinly sliced potatoes arranged in an overlapping layer before it goes into the oven. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Remove the lid, dot the potatoes with 25 g (1 oz) butter, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through.