No-Fail Roast Chicken with Lemon & Garlic

 

Ingredients:

3-1/2 to 4 lb chicken
1 lemon
1 head of garlic
1/2 stick of butter or 1/4 cup of olive oil
salt & ground pepper

1.  Arrange a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees.  Cut 1 lemon in half cross-wise and remove visible seeds. 

2.  Cut 1 head of garlic in half cross-wise. 

3.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter in microwave in a small bowl. 

4.  Place whole chicken on a cutting board and pat with paper towels to get as dry as possible. 

5. With chicken breast facing up and legs pointing toward you, use a sharp knife to slice through loose area of skin connecting the leg and breast, making about a 3"-long incision. Continue cutting downward until you hit the joint that connects the thigh to the body, then stop (once you get through the skin, there’s not much there; if you are cutting through flesh, you’re too close to the breast). This exposes the leg joint, making it easy to tell if chicken is cooked. Repeat on second side.

6.  Season surface of the chicken and inside the cavity with salt & pepper. 

7.  Transfer the chicken, breast-side up, into a skillet and arrange lemon and garlic, cut-side down around the chicken. 

8. Drizzle chicken with melted butter and transfer to oven.

9. Roast until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through, checking for doneness after 45 minutes. To check, carefully remove skillet from oven (the handle is hot!), poke a knife into leg joints, and pierce the meat. If juices run clear, the chicken is done. If you see a rosy pink color, it needs more time. Continue to roast, checking every 5 minutes, until juices run clear. 

10. Let chicken rest in skillet at least 15 minutes before carving—this will help the juices in the meat to settle.  Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour all of the buttery pan juices over top of the meat and serve with roasted lemon and garlic alongside. 

Whole Roast Chicken

A basic roast chicken recipe can be most useful to have on hand.  A roast chicken is a meal on it's own or the start of any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.  

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary, thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground pepper
1 4- to 5-pound organic chicken
1 small lemon, halved crosswise
1 medium head of garlic, halved crosswise
3 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced

1. Position rack in the bottom third of oven; preheat to 375 degrees.

2.  Combine butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Loosen the skin from the breasts with your fingers and spread butter mixture under it.  Place the lemon and garlic in the cavity.  Tie the legs together with kitchen string.  Place carrots, celery, and onion in a large broiler-safe pot.  Put chicken breast-side up on top of vegetables and put the lid on. 

3.  Roast the chicken for 1 hour.  Increase oven temperature to broil.  Uncover and broil until golden brown, about 6 to 10 minutes.  A thermometer inserted in a thigh without touching bone should register 165 degrees.  

4.  Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.  Serve sprinkled with remaining herbs and 1/2 tsp of salt.  

Whole Roasted Truffle Chicken

Recipe by Chef Charlie Palmer


This recipe was first created and served at Aureole New York in 1988. Variations of it still appear on the menu to this day and it would be the perfect dish to serve for Christmas Eve.

Serves 4.

Ingredients
4 ounces butter, soft
1/2 ounce truffle oil
salt and pepper
One 3-1/2 lb Browder's Organic chicken
1/2 lemon
4 thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove

1.  Combine butter with truffle oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2.  Pipe butter mixture under the skin of the chicken breasts and legs.  Place fingers under skin and rub around.

3.  Tie drumsticks together with twine at knuckle joint.  Place chicken in fridge and allow to air-dry for 24 hours.

4.  Remove chicken from fridge and insert lemon, thyme and garlic into cavity.  Allow chicken to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

5.  Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake chicken for 45 minutes. 

Avgolemono Soup

A Greek staple that is made in two parts:  chicken broth plus a rich egg-lemon sauce.

Ingredients
1 whole Organic chicken
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 onions
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
8 quarts of water
1-1/2 cups orzo

3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 cups water

7 egg yolks, whisked
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Add chicken and vegetables to water.  Cover, bring to boil and simmer 1 hour.  Skim any inpurities.  Strain broth.  Cool chicken and shred.

2.  Add broth back to pot and simmer with Orzo.  Whisk together flour and 1-1/2 cups water and slowly stir into broth and let thicken. Turn off heat and let rest 10 minutes. 

3.   Whisk the lemon juice and egg yolks to make a sauce, and add to the pot slowly while whisking together.  To serve, top each bowl of soup with shredded chicken.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Fire up the grill!!  Tuscan Lemon Chicken is perfect for summer dinners.  Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours (or overnight) in olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and rosemary. Then, the trick to perfectly grilled chicken is to throw the whole chicken on the grill and put a weight on top. Because the chicken is slightly flattened, it cooks evenly, the skin comes out crispy, and the meat is unbelievably moist. All you need is a big salad and a chunk of good bread, and dinner is served!

Serves 2-3. 
    

1 3 ½-pound chicken, butterflied
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoon pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken two or three times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on one side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread most of the coals across half of the grill. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the opposite side of the grill and place the dish you used for marinating on top of the chicken to weight it. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minute of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

 

Copyright 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Roast Chicken & Pesto

This is a fantastic and simple way to eat a roast chicken – whether it's hot or cold.
Serves 6.

1 Browder's Birds roasting chicken         
½ bulb garlic, plus an extra ¼ clove
2 small lemons
a few sprigs fresh thyme
extra virgin olive oil
3 bunches fresh basil, stalks removed
1 handful pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/4 cup of Parmesan, freshly grated

Preheat your oven or grill to 400ºF, then stuff your chicken with the ½ garlic bulb, one of the lemons and the thyme. Rub the outside with lots of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then rub with olive oil and roast for 1½ hours. To see if it's properly cooked, pierce a thigh with the tip of a knife and check that the juices run clear. If they don't, continue cooking and check again.

Pound the remaining garlic with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar. Scrape the paste into a food processor and whiz with the basil and pine nuts. Pour the mix into a bowl and stir in a few good lugs of olive oil. Add the Parmesan and season with salt, pepper and the juice of the other lemon. If the pesto looks stiff, moisten it with olive oil.

Serve the chicken in portions – hot or cold – on a big plate with the pesto in a bowl next to it. Better still, tear off bits of chicken and dip in a bowl of pesto before eating – fantastic! Great with arugula and roasted lemon halves, if you like.

Recipe by Chef Jamie Oliver

Chicken Scratch Cake

This lemon-y cake is called “Chicken Scratch” because the frosting and topping resemble the chicken yard after a busy day of hen scratching. And also because it has a lot of eggs, making it dense and moist.

Prep time: 1 Hour
Cook time: 40 Min
Total time: 1 Hour 40 Min 
Ingredients:
For cake:

• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract (can substitute vanilla)
• ¾ cup milk
• zest of one lemon
• ¼ cup lemon juice

For frosting:

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup (one stick) butter
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (can substitute vanilla)
• 3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• ½ cup salted, roasted almonds

Directions:

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter & flour two 9 inch round cake pans. (Use buttered parchment rounds if desired.)

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt & baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. (Approximately 4-5 minutes.) Add eggs & almond extract, and beat on medium speed an additional 5 minutes.

Reduce to low speed. Add flour, milk & lemon juice alternately, to butter/egg mixture. Begin and end with flour. Beat until combined. Add lemon and beat briefly to incorporate.
Divide batter evenly between two pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes on middle rack of oven, rotating pan halfway through to brown evenly. Cake is done when cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes, and turn out onto cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting:
Begin by toasting coconut: preheat oven to 375F. Spread coconut on baking sheet. Bake for 7-12 minutes, stirring every five minutes to keep from burning. Once flakes are golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Pulse salted roasted almonds in food processor until coarsely ground.

In electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar & almond extract on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add one third of the toasted coconut.
Beat on low speed until just combined.

To assemble cake, spread ¼ of frosting mixture evenly on top of one layer of cake. Place second layer on top. Spread remaining frosting evenly on top and sides. Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut on top of cake (and sides if desired). Sprinkle salted roasted almonds over top of coconut.

*Recipe courtesy of Beekman1802.com

Lamb Stew with Lemons and Green Olives

This flavorful lamb stew is brightened with lemon, green olives, and yogurt sauce.  Recipe courtesy of the Beekman Boys. 

Prep time: 30 Min
Cook time: 2 Hours30 Min
Total time: 3 Hours

3 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
5 whole cardamom seed pods
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
4 large carrots, sliced thin
1 small lemon with ends cut off, sliced in half, then again ¼ slices. **If using large lemon, use half.
1 cup white wine
1  qt jar of diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups pitted fresh green olives
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
For Sauce:
1 cup  chopped flat leaf parsley
1 ½ cups plain yogurt (not greek)
Zest of one lemon

Heat oil over medium high heat in heavy, large covered dutch oven. When oil begins to “ripple” add half of the lamb cubes. Brown thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Approximately five minutes. Once browned, transfer to paper towel lined plate with slotted spoon. Add second half of lamb cubes. Repeat.

Once all meat is browned and removed from pot, pour off any excess fat/oil if necessary, leaving about 3 tablespoons behind. Saute garlic and onions in the oil until soft. Add carrots and ginger. Sautee for an additional 2 minutes. Add lemon and white wine. Scrape up bits of burned meat from bottom of pot. Add spices. Add tomatoes and stock. Transfer meat back to pot, bring to boil. Reduce to very low simmer.

Simmer uncovered for approximately 2 hours, or until meat is very tender. If liquid level seems to drop far below meat, add more stock or water. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken during the last 30 minutes.

Add olives during the last 10 minutes of simmering.

Remove from heat. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro.

Make yogurt sauce: combine yogurt, chopped parsley and lemon zest. Stir.

Serve stew hot either in bowl or over couscous. Pour ¼ cup yogurt sauce over individual servings.

Snow Pudding

 

What you'll need

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
 3 egg whites

 

 Custard Sauce

3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make it

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of cold water and let it stand for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of boiling water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the lemon juice. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved and place the mixture in the refrigerator to thicken for about 2 hours.
2. Once the gelatin has chilled, prepare the egg whites (a dash of cream of tartar helps) and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat the gelatin with an electric mixer until it's a frothy foam, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the egg whites to the gelatin and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Refrigerate this mixture for a minimum of 2 hours.
4. While the gelatin mixture chills, begin preparing the custard sauce by beating the egg yolks and setting them aside.
5. Scald the milk by heating it on medium high until small bubbles appear, about 4 minutes.
6. Pour the milk, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup of sugar into the top of a double boiler sitting over simmering water. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent lumping until the custard has thickened and lightly coats a metal spoon, about 10 to 13 minutes; a finger drawn across a coated spoon should leave a clear path. Don't cook the custard too long or it will curdle.
7. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let it cool to room temperature, stirring often. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours. Serve the gelatin mixture topped with the custard. Makes 6 servings.

*Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine.

Lamb Ribs with Honey and Wine

Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs lamb ribs
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp honey
3 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup white wine
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix Marinade: Place lamb in 9 x 13 inch baking dish and combine remaining ingredients. Pour over lamb ribs; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, cover dish with foil and bake ribs for 70 minutes. 

Simple Roast Chicken Cooked at High Heat

A cold day calls for a really hot oven to help keep you toasty and warm. And what sounds better than a Roast Chicken for dinner?

Adapted from Roasting: A Simple Art (William Morrow, 1995)

Serves 2 to 4

5- to 6-pound chicken at room temperature, wing tips removed
1 lemon, halved
4 whole garlic cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken stock, water, fruit juice, or wine for optional deglazing

1. Place rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500°F (or for convection, reduce to 450°F).

2. Remove the fat from the tail and crop end of the chicken. Freeze the neck for stock.

3. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon, garlic, and butter, if using. Season the cavity and skin with salt and pepper.

4. Place the chicken in a 12 x 8 x 1 1/2-inch roasting pan breast side up. Put in the oven legs first and roast 50 to 60 minutes, or until the juices run clear. After the first 10 minutes, move the chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula to keep it from sticking.

5. Remove the chicken to a platter by placing a large wooden spoon into the tail end and balancing the chicken with a kitchen spoon pressed against the crop end. As you lift the chicken, carefully tilt it over the roasting pan so that all the juices run out and into the pan.

6. Optional: Pour off or spoon out excess fat from the roasting pan and put the roasting pan on top of the stove. Add the stock or other liquid and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Serve the sauce over the chicken or, for crisp skin, in a sauceboat.

Photo by Nicole Franzen

Devilish Chicken

Looking for a way to cook your Browder's chicken this weekend?  Chef Mary Ann Esposito, host of the PBS tv show "Ciao Italia" offers this easy recipe for a whole chicken cooked on the grill. 

Serves 4

1 - 3 1/2 to 4 pound free-range, organic chicken, butterflied
1/4 cup of olive oil
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper or dried hot pepper flakes
1 cup of dry white wine
Lemon wedges

To butterfly chicken,  place it on a plastic cutting board, breast side down.  With kitchen shears or a boning knife, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove the bone (save it for stock).  Turn chicken over, skin side up, and flatten it by pressing down with hands or a meat pounder.

Coat chicken completely with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.  Transfer chicken to a dish, cover, and marinate for several hours.  This step can also be done the day before. 

Preheat grill.  When coals are white or a gas grill temperature reaches 500 degress, place chicken on grill, breast side down.  Cook, turning frequently, and keeping the fire under control so as to not burn the chicken. 

About 10 minutes into grilling, begin basting the chicken with white wine.  Continue to baste every 10 minutes.  The chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh bone registers between 175 and 180 degrees.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and cut into serving pieces.  Serve hot, with lemon wedges and a squirt of lemon juice.  Use your fingers, not a fork, to eat.