Chicken and Dumplings

3 1/2 bone in chicken, pre cooked.  I use thighs.
salt and pepper
2 onions
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
6 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp thyme
parsley
2 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 tsp butter, melted and hot
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp baking soda

Saute onion and carrot in large skillet.  Add broth and thyme.  Simmer till cooked through.  Add chicken to broth in pan. 

Dumplings:  whisk flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Combine buttermilk and melted butter, stirring till butter forms small clumps.  Whisk in egg white.  Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients.  Return stew to simmer, stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Scoop batter over stew.  Cover and simmer gently till dumplings have doubled in size and toothpick comes out clean.  13 -16 minutes. 

(To pre-cook chicken thighs, bake thighs at 350 - 400 for 1 hour in a baking dish with a touch of water in the bottom.)