Lately, I have been all about making things that I could easily buy pre-made at the store. Or using ingredients that have an easy substitute, but instead pushing myself to not use the substitute, such as using actual cardamom pods not ground cardamom spice. So when I saw a recipe for roasted chicken from Nordstrom Flavors, it was just the ticket.
I had never roasted a whole chicken before. I don't know why. I guess I was afraid of what I might find inside. (Ha ha.) I think it's similar to my not really wanting to deal with a whole fish. Eyeballs, skin and scales...it just frightens me a little. It's just a little too close to the real (alive) thing. Well, now that I have kind of embarrassed myself (and am now sort of accountable to tackling a bigger challenge in the future), we should talk more about the chicken.
Are there meals or foods, or even specific scents that just remind you of someone or somewhere? I think a lot of people could list such examples. For me, roasted chicken reminds me of Nana, my grandma on my mom's side. When I was little, I can remember her roasting chicken. I don't know how she did it; I was too young to have any comprehension of the ways of cooking, but I remember it smelled so good. Furthermore, I remember my favorite part was the crispy chicken skin. The funny thing is I don't tend to gravitate towards fatty things or fatty parts of things. I trim the fat off everything. But chicken skin is one thing I can't stay away from. It's just so nostalgic. It's perfect. She would always give me the chicken legs to gnaw on; it was my favorite part. That and a cold can of 7-Up from the garage refrigerator with a straw. It was the greatest.
I guess this chicken, my first whole roasted chicken, is dedicated to Nana. I miss her and am sometimes caught off guard when I am reminded of her through random, little things. Like this.
Thyme-scented roasted chicken
As adapted from Nordstrom Flavors - An Artful Celebration of Food
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil for preparing the roasting rack
1 bunch fresh thyme, about 25 sprigs
10 garlic cloves
1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 lbs.), preferably organic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil roasting rack and place in a roasting pan. Chop enough thyme leaves to measure 1 tablespoon; reserve stripped stems and remaining sprigs. Mince 3 garlic cloves; cut each of remaining 7 garlic cloves in half. Season cavity of chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stuff cavity with reserved thyme stems and sprigs, garlic halves, and lemon quarters. In a small bowl, stir together oil, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, chopped thyme, and minced garlic. Spread oil mixture evenly over the outside of the chicken. Place chicken, breast side down, on the prepared rack in the roasting pan. Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Turn chicken, breast side up, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone reads 170-175 degrees F, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve.
Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, + apples
As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods, who "barely" adapted their recipe from the November 2012 issue of Food & Wine
Serves 6.
Ingredients for salad:
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large apples (granny smith, fuji, honey crisp, etc.), diced
8 cups packed baby greens (spinach, arugula, kale, red romaine, etc.)
1/8 cup flat leaf parsley
1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
Ingredients for dressing:
1/4 cup good-quality apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil in a pot and add quinoa to toast over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer, cover, and cook for about 15-18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and cool (be sure to place in a cool place - don't want your greens to wilt when you add the quinoa later). On a rimmed baking sheet, diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in upper third of oven for about 30 minutes, until golden. Remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and pinch of salt and pepper. Add cooled quinoa, potatoes, apples, greens, parsley, and onion. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Note: everything can be prepared in advance, kept in bags, and then tossed together when time for dinner, lunch the next day, etc.
I loved this salad. Again, as previously mentioned, it is complex with so many textures and flavors. If you're not a big fan of apple cider vinegar (it can be pungent), you may opt to use some other type of vinegar, such as red wine vinegar. Sara, from The Sprouted Kitchen, used this as a holiday salad; I definitely think it would be wonderful for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or any other time of year for that matter. Give it a try.
And the roasted chicken. There's nothing like a home-roasted chicken. The flavor is immense and wonderful. I'll be making it again. And you should too. Cheers.
