Thursday, July 8, 2010

World's Best Rainy Day Activity

There is something about a rainy afternoon that always has a way of luring me into roasting a chicken. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the aroma that fills my apartment and makes everything seem so cozy. Maybe it's the therapeutic act of chopping vegetables and massaging a dry rub into the chicken's skin. Who knows? All I know is that when I have an afternoon free and it happens to be raining, I will most likely spend that afternoon roasting a chicken.

So. It rained today. It's still sprinkling right now, as I type. Needless to say, I bought a chicken.



I forgot to buy a roasting pan. You'd think that I would own a sizable roasting pan just for roasting chickens, since it's something I love to do so much. Well, you'd be wrong. I did however have a smallish disposable pan.



The chicken would surely fit in there, right? I thought so too. And it did.



Barely. But then I glanced at the vegetables I had purchased. So many pretty vegetables. Vegetables that were meant to be a lovely, colorful bed upon which this chicken would roast. Onions, carrots, potatoes, celery... All I could think was, "SHIT. I am NEVER going to get all of this to fit in that tiny-ass pan."



But I did. Sort of. There was a lot of squishing and rearranging involved and some out-loud coaxing of the ingredients to cooperate with me. "Carrots, you need to stay UNDER THE CHICKEN. Dammit, LISTEN TO ME. Do you guys want to end up plump and moist or DRY and SHRIVELED?! BASTARDS."




Anyway, long story short (admittedly because I'm tired and hungry, the chicken is finally ready to be consumed, and let's face it: STUFFING MY FACE is more of a priority than BLOGGING), I made it all fit. And I smothered the bird in garlic butter with smoked paprika and ancho chile powder. And it smells heavenly. But I didn't bother to truss it because hey, who am I trying to impress? It's not as though Eric Ripert is coming to dinner, and last time I checked, Giada can't see me through the television.

Here's a quick shot of the finished product before I tear it apart:



I hope it rains again soon.
Posted by at 12:06 PM

13 beans in a vat of John Casserole:

  1. 向著星球長驅直進的人，反比踟躕在峽路上的人，更容易達到目的。............................................................

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  2. now that looks super
    yum!!!!!

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  3. Yes. I would eat that. You and I totally think alike. It was really stormy here the other day and it felt like October, so I made a delicious fall dinner. It seemed fitting. No I didn't roast a chicken, but close. Cornish game hens. Same thing, right? Although yours was all savory and delish. I opted to go the sweet route with an apricot glaze. But I guess different poultry is good different ways. And instead of vegetables I did an andouille sausage and rice stuffing. I'm thinking next time it rains I'm doing your chicken with veggies. That rub sounds divine. And it would be awesome to throw all the leftovers into a soup the next day. Hmmmmm...I'm off to the store to buy a chicken. Who needs to wait for rain?

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  4. Hold up! Cornish hens with apricot glaze and andouille sausage and rice stuffing?! Way to make my untrussed chicken with ho-hum vegetables sound totally lame!! Thanks a LOT. Now you are obligated to send me your recipe. It's the only way you can make it up to me. Aside from allotting me a fully furnished bedroom in your home and a permanent seat at your dinner table, of course.

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  8. I got the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/apricot-glazed-cornish-game-hens-with-italian-sausage-rice-pilaf-recipe/index.html. My changes: I used andouille sausage instead of italian, and didn't remove the casings, I diced it instead. I also used apples instead of raisins in the stuffing, and omitted the almonds. And I used a brown / red / wild rice mix instead of white (that's just my preference for rice). I didn't stuff the hens (I'm always worried about that), instead I used aromatics - a couple slices of orange, onion, and a sprig of thyme. Then made the stuffing in a pan. I would recommend this dish. I love all of Emeril's flavors. There is always SO MUCH going on in his recipes, but it always works so well together. Love it.

    Please tell me your rub recipe. I want to make this chicken. Oh and by the way, the color on your bird is GORGEOUS!

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  9. Oh and you can eat at my dinner table any time as long as the offer goes two ways!

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  10. Of course the offer goes both ways!! And thanks for the recipe... I will definitely be making that soon. And blogging about it!

    The rub was really simple. Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, and ancho chile powder. Generous amounts of all of the above. Stuffed the cavity with lemon. Then I rubbed garlic butter all over the thing. The butter is what gave it that color! Let me know how you like it whenever you get a chance to try it out! That smoked paprika is just amazing. It's one of my favorite spices. It smells like backyard barbecues. LOVE it.

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  11. I will absolutely let you know. I'm sure I will love it! And I too love smoked paprika. It's awesome in stuffed twice baked potatoes (yeah, I make them like twice a week. It's sad. But they're sooooooo good. And sometimes I'm just lazy).

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  12. 一個人的際遇在第一次總是最深刻的，有時候甚至會讓人的心變成永遠的絕緣。............................................................

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  13. 聰明人之所以不會成功，是因為他們缺乏了堅忍的毅力。..................................................

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