We promised chicken, so here's our first!
We had a small (3 - 3 1/2 lb) organic chicken to roast, and I have to say, this was the *most* delicious roast chicken P's ever made. I don't know if it was the recipe or the bird, but it was delicious! The most important parts, according to P, are flipping the bird from breast side down to breast side up, basting, and reducing the heat midway through cooking.
Roast Chicken with Herb Oil,
from Bittman's How to Cook Everything
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp pestled rosemary and a bit of thyme
salt and pepper
1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
1/2 cup water, plus more if needed
1) Heat oven to 450. Mix herbs into olive oil. With your fingers, loosen the skin of the chicken wherever you can and massage oil under skin. Put a bit into the chicken cavity, and remaining on outside of the skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2) Put 2-3 T butter in a cast-iron skillet. Melt butter and add water and 1 smashed garlic clove (if desired). Put chicken, breast side down, in the cast iron pan. Roast for 20 minutes, spooning some of the butter mixture up over it, then flip bird over onto its wings and thighs. Baste again, then after 10 minutes; at this point, the breast should be browning. Turn heat down to 325, baste again, and roast until the thickest part of the thigh is at least 155-165.
3) when the bird is roasted, transfer to a platter and rest at least 5 minutes before carving.
We served our chicken with whole wheat bread, and truly wonderful carrots. This recipe is sooo simple, and so delicious. Even H ate 1/3 of it, which I'm certain is a new record for volume of vegetables consumed at one meal. Between the chicken breast and the carrots, she really feasted, and so did her Big Baby, who sat in H's high chair and got fed alternate bites.
Moroccan-Style Carrots,
modified from the Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl
1/2 lb baby carrots, cut into thirds if large
garlic powder, a generous sprinkle
1 T olive oil
a small sprinkle of cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turbinado sugar (a spoonful of sugar makes the veg-tables go down in the most delightful way!)
a healthy squirt of lemon juice
salt and pepper
Steam carrots in the microwave, covered with some water for 8 minutes on high (in our microwave).
Heat oil with spices, garlic powder, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and sugar for 2-3 minutes (or more) until spices are lightly toasted and it smells delicious. Stir in carrots and steaming water and cook, until carrots are well coated, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
