Chicken:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lb chicken thigh boneless, skinless; or breasts
1 medium onion; diced
2 medium carrots; sliced
2 medium celery; sliced
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried rosemary

Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup heavy cream

1. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate.

2. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and stir for another minute or until fragrant.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the salt, butter and flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes to prevent lumps from forming.

5. Add the chicken back in the pot with any accumulated juices and stir to coat in the roux.

6. Add the chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, thyme, sage and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

7. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before chopping or shredding. Return chopped or shredded chicken to the pot.

8. To make the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup heavy cream in a large bowl. Stir until mixture comes together into single mass of dough.

9. Using a spoon, scoop out some dough and form into small round balls about 1 inch in diameter (the dough should yield 16 to 20 dumplings).

10. Place the dough balls in the soup (making sure they don't touch) and cover. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. Dumplings will double in size.

Ladle into bowls, giving 2-3 dumplings per serving.