Beacon local authors and cooks Emily Clifton and Matt Clifton have done it again, with the release of their second cookbook, The Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook: The Best Recipes on the Planet for Everyone's Favorite Pot, published by Page Street Publishing and available at Binnacle Books, Split Rock Books, and other incredible places books are sold. This topic of perfecting cooking in the Dutch oven could not have come at a better time - during a pandemic - when people want creative and flavorful dinners at home with no-fuss.

All photos of the food have been taken by the Beacon-based authors, who live within the foothills of Mount Beacon, surrounded by their yard garden, where they develop the recipes.

The Dutch Oven Provides For Layers Of Flavor

If you could only pick one kitchen tool to use for the rest of the time what would it be? A shallow frying pan? Probably not. A cookie sheet? Meh. A versatile, long-lasting Dutch oven? Ding ding ding! We have a winner. As every home cook knows,  Dutch ovens are the ultimate cooking tool, and as one of the most reliable vessels in your kitchen arsenal, the recipe options are endless.

Under Emily and Matt’s tutelage, who began their cooking and food photography careers with the blog Nerds with Knives, readers will find this cookbook to be the perfect compendium of tried-and-true Dutch oven favorites combined with some very unique recipes for making the most of your favorite tool.

One of the best parts of cooking with a Dutch oven is it’s almost a set-it-and-forget-it option, making it perfect for creating easy weeknight dinners with layers of flavor. The Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook: The Best Recipes on the Planet for Everyone's Favorite Pot has 7 chapters and 60 recipes. Your mouth will be watering at the delicious possibilities! 

Traditional favorite recipes such as “Soy and Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Pickled Red Cabbage” will make a scrumptious dinner one night, and then you can spice it up with “Indian-Chinese Sweet and Spicy Fried Cauliflower” the next.

Are you a bread lover? With a whole chapter dedicated to bread baking, Emily and Matt have pulled out all the stops, showcasing exactly how the Dutch oven can do it all. Emily and Matt have shared a recipe with A Little Beacon Blog readers: “Chicken And Dumplings,” and we are so excited to try it - with some indigenous chives that come up every year in the yard. At least, we thought they were chives…

Matt chimed in to clarify: "Most often, when you see those chive-like clumps start coming up in spring, you’re seeing field garlic, a very common wild allium. The leaves are absolutely interchangeable for chives, and are a great forage provided you know the soil is not chemically-treated. Use them in our Creamy Chicken Stew with Chive Dumplings!"

Creamy Chicken Stew With Chive Dumplings Recipe 

Say Emily and Matt: “Our version of this classic recipe results in tender chicken; a rich and creamy broth; and chive-flecked, light-as-air dumplings. While not traditional, popping the pot under the broiler for a few minutes gives the dumplings a beautiful golden-brown crust, a great contrast to their pillowy center. This is Southern fine dining.” 

FOR THE STEW 

• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter 

• 1 large yellow or Spanish onion, diced 

• 2 celery ribs, diced

• 3 medium carrots, diced 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed 

• 4 cloves garlic, minced 

• 6 cups (1.4 L) Golden Chicken Stock (page 84) or store-bought stock 

• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves 

• 1 bay leaf 

• 3 lbs (1.4 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts 

• 6 tbsp (48 g) all-purpose flour 

• 1 (12-oz [355-ml]) can evaporated milk 

• 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature, cut into cubes 

FOR THE DUMPLINGS 

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour 

• 2 tsp (6 g) baking powder 

• 1⁄4 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

• 1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp (150 g) buttermilk 

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) melted unsalted butter, cooled 

• 1⁄4 cup (12 g) finely minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish 

DIRECTIONS

To make the stew, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat.

Add the onion, celery, and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, and chicken, making sure all the chicken pieces are submerged. Bring the liquid to a full boil, cover the pot, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the chicken continue to poach in the hot broth for 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it sit until cool enough to handle. Shred the meat and cover it with foil to keep it warm. Set it aside. 

Add the flour to a small bowl and whisk in the evaporated milk until the mixture is completely smooth. Turn the heat under the Dutch oven back to low and slowly pour the milk-flour mixture into the chicken stock, whisking constantly. Add the cream cheese, stirring until it melts. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, while you make the dumpling dough. 

HOW TO MAKE THE DUMPLINGS

To make the dumplings, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, butter, and chives.

Slowly pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring just until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix it, or the dumplings will be tough. 

Drop tablespoon-sized (15-g) dollops of dumpling dough on top of the stew, leaving a little room between each one. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.

The dumplings should have grown in size by roughly fivefold, and the interior should look like a soft dinner roll. If they’re not fully cooked, cover and cook for 2 minutes more.

If you like browned dumplings like we do, preheat your broiler while the dumplings are poaching. Once the dumplings are puffed, place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and broil until their tops are golden brown, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on your broiler.

Divide the chicken stew and dumplings among bowls, and top with more chives, if desired. 

Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook by Emily and Matt Clifton, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Emily and Matt Clifton