The last few weeks have been filled with chocolate, sugar, butter, eggs, honey, and heavy cream. While I hope Julia Child would approve of my attempts at desserts for the World Food Championships, I definitely approve (and want to thank Julia repeatedly) for her Roast Chicken recipe. This chicken saved me from sugar overload this weekend! I served it with steamed asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes and pan gravy. It was a perfect Sunday supper.
Start with a whole chicken. Rinse the bird under hot water and then dry completely. Quarter a small onion, chop up two stalks of celery (including the leaves) and thinly slice an entire lemon. Season the cavity of the bird liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with the onion, celery and lemon. Tie the legs together with twine and place the chicken on a roasting rack. Generously spread softened butter over the entire chicken and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Isn’t it pretty?
The secret to a crispy, beautiful skin, is to roast at high heat (425 degrees) for the first 30 minutes. After the first half hour, baste the chicken, add an onion and chopped carrots to the roasting pan. Drop the temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting for another 45 minutes. Continue to baste the bird every 15 minutes as it cooks. If your chicken is larger than 4 lbs, increase the roasting time by 7 minutes per additional pound.
When the chicken is done, let it sit for at least 15 minutes before you carve it, so the juices can redistribute.
If you’re on Facebook, I’m sure you’re probably sick of hearing about this dessert competition next week! Trust me, when this is all over, if I see another stick of butter or have to separate eggs again in the near future, it will be too soon! One of the unexpected benefits of participating in The World Food Championships is my dessert dishes are pretty awesome, but now, so are my savory dishes! (NOTE: This one doesn’t count because it’s totally Julia’s but I WILL take credit for a delicious pan gravy and those garlic mashed potatoes!) I think the savory dishes improved because I’m trying to make up for working with all that sugar! Plus, I have my first 5K coming up in December and I need to strike a balance somewhere. :-)
Keep following as we go through this week and the upcoming Vegas trip! No matter what happens, it’s going to be EPIC! I can’t wait to share it with all of you! Remember, what happens in Vegas, will be shared from Vegas (via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!) HAHAHA! Stay hungry, friends!
Sara
Ummmm!