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1
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Drain and cool just until you can handle them. Slip the skins off with your fingers or a paring knife, then press the potates through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt and the nutmeg, then set aside.
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2
Season the chicken breasts and thighs with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken breasts to brown them, about a minute per side, turning them with tongs or a spatula. (If you shake the pan immediately after they have gone in, they will not stick.) Transfer the breasts to a platter and add the thighs to the pan. Brown them, about a minute per side, then transfer to the platter with the chicken breasts. Tent with foil to keep warm.
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3
Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pan. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon flour over the entire mixture; cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
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4
Whisk in the beer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan; continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about a minute. Stir in the thyme and sage, then the stock and bay leaf. Let sauce come to a simmer, then add chicken breasts and thighs along with any accumulated juices. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.
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5
Meanwhile, gently stir the 1/3 cup flour and the cornstarch into the potatoes with a wooden spoon just until smooth. Do not beat.
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6
Discard the bay leaf from the stew. Scoop up scant 1/4 cups of the potato mixture and lay them on top of the stew. Do not cover stew completely with dumplings -- rather, let them sit like clouds on its surface. Cover and steam the dumplings for 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
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7
Summery Chicken and Dumplings: Substitute 1-1/2 cups white wine or vermouth for the beer.
