Roast Lemon Chicken with Rosemary and New Potatoes, and Balsamic Carrots & Beets
I was guilted (by myself) tonight into making a proper Sunday dinner – seeing as I’ll be away next weekend, and the week is quickly closing in like that garbage compactor in the original Star Wars, with me thigh-deep in sludge desperately trying to wedge something in there to buy more time (Princess Leia isn’t so glamorous after all), I felt somewhat obligated to feed the boys properly before I go.
What, I haven’t told you? I’m going to VEGAS! Not only that, I’m going to Vegas WITH 18 GIRLS (one of whom went to see Pretty in Pink with John Cusack, so really with only two degrees of separation, it’s kind of like I’m almost going to Vegas with JC himself. Think we’ll get married?) for a sort of collective 40th birthday party (not mine) and I’m bringing you along, of course. We leave on Friday around dinnertime. VEGAS!! I’ve never been. I’m currently researching best food locales so that I can avoid buffets and maximize dineros and vacation calories – any suggestions are more than welcome.
I had picked up a chicken at the farmers’ market and was about to toss it into my usual cast iron skillet, rub it with my usual canola oil, stuff with my usual half lemon and garlic cloves, sprinkle with my usual S&P and just roast it, when I thought I might be able to do one better. I consulted Jamie. My sister, I’ve heard, makes legendary roast chicken using his recipe, and I thought he might know a thing or two I don’t. I imagine in his library of books there lives more than one roast chicken recipe, but this is the one I came across first. It instructs parboiling the potatoes (I used new ones, some so small they were the size of large peas) along with an entire lemon (which infuses the potatoes as they simmer) then taking them off the heat after 10 minutes, jabbing the lemon all over with a fork and jamming it into the cavity, which allows for better lemon infusion and steaming from the inside (this also works for cleaning microwaves). I did thus. It was fantastic.
September 07 2009 | chicken & turkey | 27 Comments »
