Lauren Groveman, our food writer, shares her recipes for perfect
roast chicken, mushroom shallot gravy, and garlic roast potatoes with rosemary
and thyme.
She is the author of
''Lauren
Groveman's Kitchen: Nurturing Food for Family & Friends.' She is
also a contributor to
''Baking
With Julia' a cookbook written by Julia Child. Write Lauren at
l.groveman@worldnet.att.net
or
http://www.LaurenGroveman.com.
Perfect Roast Chicken and Mushroom Shallot Gravy
Yield: serves 6
Special Equipment:
Roasting pan with metal roasting rack
Fine mesh wire sieve, for straining gravy
Ingredients:
1 carrot, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
Whole black peppercorns (6 or so)
1 large 6- to 8-pound capon or oven-stuffer roaster or 2
smaller
chickens 3 1/2 to 4-pounds each.
Onion powder (Not onion salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Paprika (Sweet Hungarian paprika is the best)
Flavorless vegetable oil, as needed
1 stick salted butter or margarine
6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1) To set up to roast chicken: Place the carrot, onion, celery and
peppercorns into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place a metal roasting rack
over the vegetables. (The rack will hold the chicken up as it roasts giving
it full heat exposure.) Thoroughly rinse and dry the chicken. Remove the
neck, and gizzards and reserve for stock. (You can roast the liver along
with the vegetables underneath the chicken if desired. Avoid using liver
in stock, as it imparts a cloudy color and bitter flavor.)
2) To season chicken: Trim away any excess fat from the cavity
opening.
Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with onion powder and black
pepper.
Turn the chicken, breast side down and sprinkle the back of the
chicken generously with onion powder, then with freshly ground pepper, then
lightly with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and finally with paprika. Turn the chicken
over and season the breast, legs and wings in the same order as the back.
Pour some vegetable oil into the palm of your hand and rub this all over
the back and front of the chicken. (like you're massaging the chicken). When
the vegetable oil has lubricated the bird(s) place them, breast side up,
on the rack in the roasting pan. The chicken should be loaded with color
and glistening from the oil.
3) To make garlic-butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and,
when hot and bubbling, stir in pressed garlic. Sauté garlic in butter
slowly, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour this mixture over seasoned
chicken(s) and roast at 375o until cooked crisp on the outside but still
succulent within.
To test poultry: When poultry looks done, test for doneness. To
do this, position a spoon under the thigh and prick the meat with a long
thin pie tester or the stem of an instant meat thermometer. Collect any exuded
juices in the spoon. If this liquid is clear and yellow, the bird is done.
If the juices contain tinges of red, let poultry roast a few minutes more
and try again. Next, wiggle poultry at joints. If the leg wiggle freely,
it's done. (The wing will seem done quicker than the leg. Do this text on
the leg.) If you feel a "tug" at the joint, return to the oven for a few
more minutes before testing again. Once out of the oven, let chicken(s) sit
settle for a 10 minutes before carving. This waiting period helps juices
to centralize and also helps meat calm down and carve easier.
During this waiting period, make your gravy....
For the Gravy:
2 tablespoons drippings from the chicken
Roasted vegetables remaining in the pan
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
2 cups hot, rich well seasoned chicken stock. (Canned will do, but,
of course, homemade is preferable. If using canned, you can "doctor" it by
adding some aromatic vegetables such as onion, celery, carrots and parsley
and simmering for a while to liven the flavor substantially.)
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced and/or 1 or 2 chopped cleaned mushrooms
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cream or milk (optional)
1) To deglaze roasting pan: Pour out all but approximately 2 tablespoons
drippings from the roasting pan. (Keep all those browned bits clinging to
the bottom of the pan along with the vegetables.) Set pan over direct heat.
Pour in optional wine and stir to combine with browned bits, while pressing
hard on the vegetables to release all their flavor.
Pour hot broth into pan, stirring and mashing down on the
vegetables.
Bring to a bubble and cook over gentle heat for 3 to 5
minutes.
2) To assemble sauce: Heat a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add the butter and, when hot, add minced shallots and chopped mushrooms.
Cook until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then stir in flour. Cook
the "roux" over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Carefully strain mixture from roasting pan through a fine-sieve
over the pan with sautéed shallots and mushrooms. Press on solids
in sieve, then discard them. Stir to combine stock mixture, then add cream
or milk, if using. Simmer over low heat until silky smooth. Season to taste
with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep the gravy warm over a low
flame until the chicken is carved and ready to serve.
Garlic Roast Potatoes With Rosemary and Thyme
Yield: serves 6
These aromatic potatoes are baked--almost braised--with fresh garlic
and herbs, adding a touch of simple elegance to many different types of menus.
Whether embellishing an elegant rack of lamb or a simple piece of broiled
fish, these tender potatoes are easy to prepare and always appreciated by
family and friends. For another version of this recipe, peel the potatoes
and roast uncovered for the last thirty minutes, or until golden brown and
crisp. They are also terrific (as suggested here) roasted with a whole chicken
or roast beef.
Special Equipment
Shallow oven-to-table baking dish
Ingredients
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) lightly salted butter or 1/4 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 generous teaspoon chopped
dried
rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 generous teaspoon
crumbled
dried thyme
12 medium-sized new potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and dried
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1) To set up: Preheat the oven to 375o F. Place a long piece of
aluminum foil in a shallow baking dish (dull side up), extending the foil
1 1/2 inches beyond rim.
2) To prepare garlic butter or oil: Melt butter or heat oil over
low heat in a small saucepan. When hot, sauté garlic very slowly until
softened and fragrant, but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in rosemary and
thyme and remove from heat.
3) To assemble: Pour garlic-herb mixture into the prepared baking
dish and place potatoes in a single layer on top of herb mixture. Roll each
potato in herb mixture and sprinkle on a generous amount of freshly ground
black pepper. Place another piece of aluminum foil over the top (dull side
up) and pinch the foil at the sides to secure shut.
4) To bake and serve: Using either a skewer or the tip of a sharp
knife, poke several holes in the top foil. Bake potatoes 1 1/2 hours. When
done, they will be very soft and creamy inside and sizzling and glistening
outside. Remove bottom foil by lifting up side so that potatoes slide back
into baking dish; scrape the crisped savory herbs onto the potatoes. Add
a light sprinkling of coarse salt and serve immediately. |
