Let's begin with the chicken. Now, I roast chicken in several ways, but the way that we enjoy most is a lemon roasted chicken that is served over crisp, homemade croutons and drizzled with some of the oniony pan drippings. This is an often requested dish by my husband and one that is very easy to make. It starts with a 4 pound chicken which is nestled atop a mound of sliced onions. The bird is then bathed in lemon juice and slathered with butter. Salt and pepper season it inside and out, and the lemon pieces are tucked inside to perfume the bird and add extra flavor as it cooks.
chicken ready to be roasted on top of a mound of onion slices |
In my hurry to eat this chicken, I forgot to take pictures of the croutons. They are cubes of french bread that have been toasted in a large skillet until they are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. They are mounded on a platter and the sliced chicken is nestled on top of them. The onion is smashed into the pan drippings which are then skimmed of excess fat and drizzled over the top of everything. The "sauce" created by the drippings is flavorful and slightly lemony and finished everything off nicely.
Roasted chicken- I forgot to take a picture of the croutons before we ate. |
purple, orange, and white carrots |
The bowl I mixed the butter and honey in was cold and the butter solidified which is why it lookes like this. It melted again the oven and coated everything nicely. |
Finished carrots- they look burnt but they're not. The dark ones are the purple carrots. |
Lemon Chicken with Croutons- adapted slightly from Barefoot in Paris
serves 4
1 four pound chicken
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for coating the onion slices
kosher salt
black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 tbsp butter, melted
4 cups french bread cubes (3/4 in)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry the chicken. Toss the onion in a little oil in the bottom of a roasting pan. Sit the chicken, breast side up, on top of the onion slices. Squeeze the lemon pieces over the chicken and then put the pieces into the cavity of the bird. Brush the chicken with the melted butter and season the cavity and outside of the bird generously with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings of the chicken behind its back. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Roast 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to rest 15 minutes.
In the meantime, smash the onion slices into the chicken drippings. Using a spoon, skim the excess fat off of the drippings. Set the drippings aside.
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium low and add the bread cubes. Cook the cubes 8-10 minutes until lightly browned on the outside. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
To serve, place all bread cubes on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it on top of the bread. Drizzle the reserved pan drippings over everything.
Honey Roasted Carrots
serves 3-4
1 pound carrots, peeled
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp honey
kosher salt
black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut each peeled carrot into three inch pieces. Cut each three inch piece in quarters lengthwise. In a medium bowl, mix melted butter and honey together. Add carrots and toss to coat. Place carrots on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the baking sheet with foil and roast carrots, covered, 15 minutes. Uncover the baking sheet. Toss the carrots and drain any excess liquid from the pan. It is important that you drain any liquid off so that the carrots can brown rather than steam for the remainder of the cooking time. Continue to roast the carrots 30 more minutes until they are browned on the outside and completely tender on the inside.
Sounds like the honey roasted recipe would also be good with parsnips, carrots' cousin veggie!! Sprinkle with a little bit of ground nutmeg when done. KMC
ReplyDeleteThe T is very high, carrots just burnt. Very disappointed, such a waste :(
ReplyDelete