Tangled Branches: Satiated
riveting tales of how we sustain ourselves
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Roast Chicken
Well, let's see if we can't get the food blog restarted. How about last night's dinner? We had roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and mixed beans and carrots.
The 3 lb. spring chicken came from Polyface Farms at the Arlington Farmers' Market last Saturday. I like the ideas of Polyface Farms, but I'm not prepared to say this is the best chicken I've ever eaten. It's good, and I'll continue to buy it, but the best? I rubbed it with a mixture of salt, pepper, ancho chile (tiny amount), and dried thyme, and roasted it in a hot oven (425>400 F) for about 65 minutes in all, using an idea from Jacques Pepin in Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home. He claims to roast chickens directly in the pan - no rack - on their sides. So I used a cast-iron skillet with a piece of oiled parchment in the bottom to prevent sticking. It didn't stick, but I tore the skin on the back of the chicken in turning it from side to side. I made a pan sauce by deglazing the skillet with some Sauvignon Blanc, which we were having with the meal, and adding some chopped garlic chives.
Mashed potatoes were made with russet potatoes, boiled in salted water with a small onion stuck with a clove. Ordinarily I would add a bay leaf to the water too, but I happen not to have any on hand. Drained the potatoes, discarded the onion and clove, and mashed them with butter and milk.
Veggies were chosen by Trader Joe's. I noticed a package of mixed wax beans, green beans, and carrots last time I was there, and decided to try it. I simmered them in a small amount of water in a covered skillet until tender, then drained them and added butter, salt, pepper, a tiny tiny pinch of sugar, and some chopped garlic chives.
Everything turned out satisfactorily, and we dined well.
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