Step 1

Lay the chicken thighs out on paper towels and use another paper towel to blot excess moisture from the chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil to a large heavy bottom saucepan, dutch oven, or braiser and set it over medium heat.

Step 3

Chop the bacon into 1 or 2 inch pieces and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp but not crumbly. Turn off the burner and use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan and place it on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

Step 4

Carefully pour all the hot fat from the pan into a heat proof bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of fat back to the pan. Do not discard the remaining fat - set it aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Step 5

Set the pan over medium high heat. Add as many chicken thighs to the pan as will fit without being over crowded. Let the chicken cook until it releases easily from the bottom of the pan. Flip the pieces over and cook until browned on both sides. Remove the browned chicken from the pan, place it on a plate, and repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.

Step 6

While the chicken is browning, peel and chop the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots into small pieces.

Step 7

When all the chicken has been browned, lower the heat to medium and add the chopped vegetables to the pan. Cook stirring frequently, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Step 8

Add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1 cup wild rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Step 9

Pour 1 cup of dry white wine into the pan and turn the heat up to high. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated. (If not using wine, skip this step.)

Step 10

Pour 6 cups of chicken broth or 6 cups of water mixed with Better Than Bouillon chicken base into the pan.

Step 11

Use a string or piece of thread to tie the fresh thyme sprigs together into a bundle. (This is optional but will make it much easier to remove the stems from the soup later. You can also just remove the thyme leaves from the stems and add the leaves to the soup.)

Step 12

Add the chicken back to the pan, nestling it down into the liquid.

Step 13

Bring the liquid to a boil then cover the pan and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate or a bowl, cover the pan, and continue cooking the rice until it is tender (how long this takes will vary based on the kind of rice you are using.)

Step 14

Prepare the dumplings while the chicken and rice cook: Add all the dumpling ingredients to a bowl and mix with a spoon, rubber spatula, or your fingers until everything is mixed together into a dough. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, form tablespoon sized pieces of dough into balls, and place them on a parchment covered plate. You’ll have about 16-20 dumplings.

Step 15

If the rice is not yet cooked through, cover the dumplings and put them back into the refrigerator.

Step 16

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, use your fingers to shred it into bite size pieces.

Step 17

When the rice is tender, stir in the cream. Bring the liquid back to a simmer and add the shredded chicken and the dumplings to the simmering broth, using a spoon to push them under the surface of the liquid.

Step 18

Cook the dumplings for about 5 minutes; when cooked through, they will float to the surface of the soup.

Step 19

Remove the soup from the heat and stir in some lemon juice. Taste, and add as much more lemon juice and/ or salt and pepper as you like.

Step 20

Serve the soup topped with crispy bacon and chopped parsley.