I made chicken on Friday night. Is there anything as nice as the smell of roast chicken filling a house? When the light falls faster, and the cars on the freeway look like a string of holiday lights, and it’s crisp outside, and all you can think of is knitting in front of the TV, cats on your lap, dogs on your feet?
I can’t even really brag about my chicken-cooking abilities, since this is what I do: Roughly chop one lemon into big chunks, chop a head of garlic into big chunks (don’t even worry about peeling the cloves), scissor up a bunch of rosemary, shove all of it into the chicken (thanking that nice free-range kosher chicken and wishing it well in the next life), then stick it in the oven, an hour and a half at 350. Forget about it. Basting, what’s basting? Doesn’t need it.
However. I got cocky. (Get it? Cocky? Chicken? Heh.) While chicken and some frozen veggies are fine for me for dinner, sister Bethany was coming over and I decided to show off. Surely you could cook veggies with a chicken like people do with a roast, right? (Not like I’ve ever done that, but still. How hard could it be?) So I cut up some potatoes, added a bunch of carrots and mushrooms, then threw some chopped shallots on top. Left it all to cook next to Mr. Chicken.
Yeah. Perfect chicken. That part come guaranteed like that. But guess what happens if you cook veggies like that? Yes. You get little potato rocks and hard small carrots that are all wrinkly and pathetic. It was to weep. Only a few of the mushrooms made it, and only those that were sitting in the chicken juice actually had a chance.
So I cooked up some zucchini with shallots, added the mushrooms and pretended that’s what I meant to do. And garlic bread. That always fixes everything, doesn’t it?
Still haven’t seen Lala. She’s back tonight from being a rockstar, but I’ll be at work. We’ll be ships in the Oakland night until Wednesday, and then I leave on Thursday for the holiday. Bah. But she doesn’t like chicken, so it worked out well for Friday night, I suppose.
Also: Saw Good Night, Good Luck. I can certainly see why people liked it. It did take me forty-five minutes to realize that it was in black and white. I loved the aesthetic. And the hair. But dude, I fell asleep like four times, and so did another guy. I never do that. So I suppose that’s a less-than-glowing review.
Okay. Off to work. Happy week, all. Oh! I finished a shawl thingie yesterday – remind me to show you!
you have inspired me to make a chicken. i’ve never done it, but my dad cooks the veggies with it and they turn out great. if i find out his secret i’ll let you know.
Must. See. Shawl. Thingie! Pretty please!?
(And oh!… my kingdom for a peek at the knitted wedding dress while I’m making wishes! Hee!)
It works if you buy a $5 chicken roaster with a lid. Then your veggies steam themselves done. Myabe next time 😉
Just drizzle all those veggies liberally with olive oil and a bit of kosher salt, then toss them around in the pan with your hands. Your temp and amount of time were just fine, you just needed the olive oil! They come out all caramelized and YUMMY!!!! (in fact, i’ve done them for an hour and a half as high as 425 degrees at times and they still come out yummy!
Yes, show shawl thingie! And mmm…I love chicken, sounds great. And your right, garlic bread *does* fix everything! I think I always knew that sub-consciously, but now you’ve made it official. =)
Ten years ago I was pregnant at Thanksgiving time and was hosting my family (sheesh, I’ve been pregnant so many times). I couldn’t bear the thought of smelling turkey that year (a pregnant thing at the moment) so I fixed two herb roasted chickens. It was so good and nobody complained. We had the normal “other stuff”. Thanks for stirring the memory. 🙂
Dude- you stole my roast chicken recipe! Or did I steal yours?
I totally agree that the smell of roast chicken is one of the best smells in the world. It brings me back to my mom’s kitchen on Sundays after church. Mmmmmm.
This post is making me hungry for a big meal. And it’s 8:45. AM.
I’ve fallen asleep in the theater too..it’s just so cozy and dark. But you’re right – it doesn’t say much for the movie! 🙂
Mmmmm, garlic bread. I have always loved garlic bread and now my husband has a job at Cole’s, and they make… garlic bread! And a brand new… cheese stuffed garlic breadstick! Heaven in a stick!
I love Roast Chicken. I am not quite sure what happened with your veggies tho’ try it again, and use the olive oil, and try to cut the veggies the some size, think Steak fry size. It is really delish, especially if you throw some rosemary on the taters ! Yum !
Beer can chicken also great. No basting required. Just a can of beer, drink about 1/4 of the can, then cut the top off and sit the chicken down on its arse over the can on a roasting pan. Roast as usual. Very moist breasts, which is what happens, I guess, if you get a chicken drunk.
A few others already mentioned this–but, cut up the veggies (I use carrots, onions, taters, garlic cloves) to roughly the same size and then pour the olive oil on. When mixing up the veggies and oil, I also add whatever herbs or spices I use on the chicken. The chicken is also generously bathed in oil. My favorite chicken topping is: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and fennel. Makes a nice spicy crispy skin.
I love a good Kosher bird. The salting really helps the meat stay flavorful and juicy – otherwise the breasts are dry when the legs are cooked. Last weekend, I sent Matt to the only Kosher butcher in all of Minnesota (or so it seems) that sells Empire birds so we can enjoy a Kosher turkey for Thanksgiving.
I love how you talked to your chicken and ‘wished it well in it’s next life’. You didn’t talk to your veggies, did you? Veggie neglecter.
Sounds yummy!
You fell asleep? I was riveted…but maybe that was also more about the performances. Still, I was totally wowed by that movie. I heart David Straithairn.
I didn’t make it over to Genghis Cohen Saturday [bummer!]. I want to see Good Night. The last movie I fell asleep during was the Mel Gibson Jesus movie [I forgot the name now]. I woke up during the scourging scene…not a good visual to wak up to.
Your chicken sounds good! I usually do use garlic and rosemary, but have never tried lemon. Also, I put veggies in with mine most of the time but I always use the Reynold’s oven bags. The chicken always come out very moist from the bags and the veggies are always nice and tender. Good luck, next try!
Good news? Roast a chicken! Bad news? Roast a chicken! Pissed off? Roast a chicken! Happy? Roast a chicken!
Roasting a chicken cures all over here. And I vote for the smaller pieces way of doing the veggies.
Mmmmm, I wonder if I have a chicken in the freezer- roast chicken sounds wonderful right now!
Consider yourself reminded. 😉
Love, love, LOVE the smell of a “nice chicken” in the oven. I make mine just as easy.
Rinse chicken. Slap into pan. Oil, salt, pepper, paprika (and sometimes garlic powder). Rub that all over it. DONE!
Then I walk around the house saying “It’s killing me!” as soon as those wonderful smells start to filter out of the oven.
By the time it’s done I’m ripping off a leg before it’s had a chance to “rest”. I mean, it’s been resting since they took of its head, right?