For Bill Fuller, the force behind Big Burrito Group restaurants Mad Mex, Eleven, Casbah, Sobah, Kaya and Alta Via, chicken and dumplings is a family tradition, a dish he first had as a child. “My mother was a busy single mom, who didn't always have the time to get it right, but I loved it, even if her dumplings were chewy and broth bland.” Fuller took that family staple and perfected it, finding the perfect combination of tender dumplings and thick, supple broth of which his wife-- a chicken and dumplings fan herself-- approves. These days, he's cooking for a new generation of Fuller; his daughter is an avid chicken and dumplings fan. “Three generations of the most important women in my life all love chicken and dumplings,” says Fuller.

Tip: For perfect dumpling dough, give the butter and eggs time to warm to room temperature before preparing the dumplings.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

3 or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

chicken stock (recipe below)

2 cups onions, diced

5 to 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups carrots, diced

1 cup celery, sliced into half moons

1 cup celery root, peeled and diced

2 pounds Red Bliss or small Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dumplings (recipe below)

 Instructions

Place chicken in large pot. Cover with chicken stock and bring just to a simmer. Cook until chicken is just done. Remove, and cool.

Add all vegetables and thyme to stock. Season well with salt and pepper, and add more stock if necessary. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are done.

While vegetables are cooking, remove chicken meat from bones and shred or dice large. Add to pot when vegetables are cooked.

Spoon in dumplings while keeping pot at a simmer. When completed, simmer for a few minutes. If broth becomes too thick for your taste, add a little more stock.  (Personally, I like it thicker.) Also, check seasonings: salt and pepper make a world of difference in a simple dish like this.

Scoop out two bowls, and eat in front of the fireplace with some Champagne and crusty bread.

Chicken Stock

Ingredients

5 pounds chicken necks and backs (a whole chicken or various pieces and parts work well enough)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and copped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 heads garlic, split crossways

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Lots of sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

 Place chicken (organs are good too, but not livers!) in stockpot with onions, carrots and celery. Place garlic and herbs in pot. Cover with cold water to 1 inch above ingredients and place pot on stove. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a minimal simmer*.

Skim fat and foam immediately. Cook 2 hours at a low simmer, skimming fat and foam regularly. When done, skim fat and strain through a coarse mesh strainer. Strain again with a fine mesh strainer.

Dumplings

Ingredients

6 eggs, room-temperature

1/4 pound butter, softened to the point that it is partially melted (one stick)

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons fresh thyme or rosemary, chopped (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Whisk eggs lightly to break yolks. Add butter and incorporate well. There may still remain little pieces of butter in the eggs. Add flour and seasonings, and stir in gently. Do not over-work the dough. It should be soft and sticky, a little thicker than a batter but not as tight as a soft dough.

Place a small amount of dumpling dough onto a spoon and scrape two or three dumplings into the simmering pot with another spoon. When the dumplings float, allow them to cook a minute or two more. Remove and taste. If the dumpling falls apart, add a little more flour and stir it in gently. If the seasonings need to be adjusted, add salt and pepper.

Continue to scrape dumplings into pot. I like to make them the size I get when I scrape 4 or 5 off a large tablespoon. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a few minutes.

RECIPE BY BILL FULLER, BIG BURRITO RESTAURANT GROUP // PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM MILLIRON // STYLING BY QUELCY KOGEL // INGREDIENTS SOURCED THROUGH PARAGON FOODS

For more information on Big Burrito Group and its restaurants: bbrg.site