Honey Glazed Chicken

 

Cooking with honey can be problematic because it burns so easily.  Wait until the chicken is almost done and then baste it with honey to give it wonderful flavor. 

• Ingredients:

• One 4 pound whole chicken

• 1 cup lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• 1/2 fresh lemon, cut into wedges

• 1/4 cup honey, heated to make it easier to brush

Rub the chicken with about two teaspoons of kosher salt, all around the surface of the chicken. Place the lemon juice and the whole chicken in a resealable plastic bag (like a large freezer bag). Seal the bag and move the lemon juice around to coat chicken.  Place bagged chicken in a bowl in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.  

Remove chicken from marinade and discard bag.  Pat the chicken dry. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Stuff cavity with lemon wedges and thyme.  

Roast chicken for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Lower heat to 350 degrees and roast 45 minutes.  

Remove chicken from oven and use a pastry brush to coat the chicken with honey.  Then roast for another 10 -15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Breast should reach 160 degrees and thigh should reach 170 degrees.  Brush the chicken with remaining honey one more time before removing from the oven. 

Allow chicken to rest 15 minutes, tented with foil, before serving.  
  

One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken

 

Ingredients:

•  3 ½ - 4 ½ pound whole chicken, neck removed
  1 lemon, cut in halved
  1 head of garlic, halved
  Few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage
• 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 tsp EACH: salt & pepper

Directions: 

1.  Position a rack in the center of the oven & preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat dry using paper towels. Season the inside of the cavity with ½ teaspoon of salt. Place the lemon halves, garlic head, and herbs inside the cavity. Place the chicken breast-side up in a large cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe frying pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon of salt all over.

2.  Melt the butter in the microwave and using a pastry brush, brush half the butter generously all over the chicken, save remaining butter do not discard. Sprinkle with pepper.

3.  Roast chicken for 20 minutes, remove from oven, brush on the remaining butter mixture. Place the chicken back into the oven and continue roasting for 25 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and check to make sure it registers at 165 degrees F. Continue to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes for 4 to 4-1/2 lb chicken. Remove  from the oven and allow for it to rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.

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. 

Chicken Soup from Scratch

BROTH:

• 1 chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, with skin, cut up
• 3 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and halved
•  About 1 dozen large sprigs parsley
•  About 1 dozen black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

TO FINISH THE SOUP:

• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
•  Kosher salt and ground black or white pepper
•  Egg noodles (fresh or dried)
•  Finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, scallions, dill or a combination
• 
  
• 1. Place the chicken, celery, carrots, onions, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
• 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to very low. Adjust the heat to simmer and cook uncovered, until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• 3. When cool enough to handle, use tongs to transfer chicken from the pot to a container. Taste the broth and continue to simmer it until it is concentrated and tasty. Strain broth into a separate container. 
• 4. Refrigerate chicken pieces and broth separately for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days)
• 5. When ready to finish the soup, use your fingers to separate chicken breast meat from bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Use two forks to pull the breast meat apart into soft chunks, or use a knife and cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve dark meat for another use.
• 6. Skim chicken fat from top of broth. Pour broth into pot with carrots and heat to a simmer. Add noodles and simmer until heated through, soft and plumped with chicken broth. Add the breast meat, then taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste. For best flavor, soup should have a few golden droplets of fat on top; if needed, add some chicken fat one teaspoon at a time.
• Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with herbs.

Hen and Dumplings

For stewing the hen and broth:
1 (3-4 pound) chicken
3 quarts cold water
3 medium carrots, peeled
3 celery stalks
1 small onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 1 clove grated
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
1-1/4  cups dry white wine
1 large leek, white & green parts cut into medium dice and washed; green top washed and reserved
1 cup torn herbs, like parsley, dill, chervil, chives, for garnish

For dumplings: 
1 slice white bread, crust removed and bread torn into small pieces
1/4 cup stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 ounces ground veal or chicken
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sliced chives
zest of 1 lemon

1. In a 6-quart stockpot, combine chicken with cold water.  Bring to simmer over high heat.  Begin to skim away any fat or scum from surface.  Add one carrot, one celery stalk, onion, split garlic head, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt, peppercorns and 1 cup wine.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, 2-1/2 - 3 hours.

2.  Transfer chicken to cutting board.  When cool enough to handle, remove skin and meat.  Return bones to the pot.  Simmer, uncovered, 1-1/2-2 hours and add leek tops for last 30 minutes.

3.  While stock simmers, prepare dumplings.  Heat oven to 450 degrees. Soak bread in 1/4 cup chicken stock for 5 minutes, squeeze out excess.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large, oven-proof pan over medium heat.  Add shallots, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and saute 7-8 minutes.  Meanwhile, mince soaked bread and about 10 ounces of the reserved chicken meat and skin. In a bowl combine, minced bread/chicken mixture with ground veal or chicken, eggs, chives, lemon zest and 1/2 tsp salt.  Add shallots.  Form into golf-ball sized dumplings and refrigerate 1 hour.

4.  Heat pan used for shallots over medium heat and add remaining butter.  Gently add dumplings to skillet and let cook, undisturbed until browned, 5 minutes.  Use soup spoons to gently flip dumplings.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake 12-15 minutes until firm, basting dumplings with butter form pan midway through cooking.

5.  Pour stock through a fine-mesh strainer.  (You should have about 2 quarts. Top with water if necessary.)  Discard vegetables and bones.  Chop remaining leeks, carrots and celery into bite-size pieces.  Return stock to simmer and add chopped vegetables and remaining wine.  Simmer until just soft, about 4 minutes. Add herbs and remove pot from heat. Divide dumplings among 4-5 bowls and ladle soup over top.

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. 

Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken and Bread Salad

Adapted from the Zuni Cafe, San Francisco
 Serves 2 to 4
One small chicken, approx. 3 pounds
4 tender sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sage
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
A little water


At least one day before serving, slide a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, making 2 little pockets as well as on the thickest section of each thigh. Using your finger, shove an herb sprig into each of the 4 pockets. Season the chicken liberally all over with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Choose a shallow flameproof roasting pan or dish barely larger than the chicken, or use a 10-inch skillet with an all-metal handle ( cast iron frying pan is perfect). Preheat the pan over medium heat. Wipe the chicken dry and set it breast side up in the pan. It should sizzle.

Place the chicken in the pan in the center of the oven and allow to start browning within 20 minutes.  The skin should blister, but if the chicken begins to char, or the fat is smoking, reduce temperature by 25 degrees. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over — drying the bird and preheating the pan should keep the skin from sticking. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size, then flip back over to recrisp the breast skin, another 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and turn off the heat. Lift the chicken from the roasting pan and set on a plate. Carefully pour the clear fat from the roasting pan, leaving the lean drippings behind. Add about a tablespoon of water to the hot pan and swirl it.

Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken, then tilt the bird and plate over the roasting pan to drain the juice into the drippings. You can let it rest while you finish your side dishes (or Bread Salad). The meat will become more tender and uniformly succulent as it cools.

Set a platter in the oven to warm for a minute or two.  Tilt the roasting pan and skim the last of the fat. Place over medium-low heat, add any juice that has collected under the chicken, and bring to a simmer. Stir and scrape to soften any hard golden drippings.

Cut the chicken into pieces, spread on the warm platter on top of the Bread Salad.

Zuni Cafe Bread Salad
Adapted from the Zuni Cafe, San Francisco
Generous 8 ounces slightly stale, chewy, peasant-style bread
6 to 8 tablespoons mild-tasting olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dried currants plumped in 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon warm water for ten minutes or so
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 to 3 garlic cloves, slivered
1/4 cup slivered scallions (about 4 scallions)
2 tablespoons lightly salted chicken stock or lightly salted water
A few handfuls of arugula, frisée, or red mustard greens, carefully washed and dried

Preheat the broiler. Carve off all of the bottom and most of the top and side crusts from your bread and tear into irregular 2- to 3-inch chunks. You should get about 4 cups.
Toss them with just a tablespoon or two of olive oil, lightly coating them, and broil them very briefly, just to lightly color the edges. Toast the pine nuts under the broiler tray as well, but watch them very carefully — they cook quickly!

Combine about 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the Champagne or white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss about 1/4 cup of this tart vinaigrette with the torn bread in a wide salad bowl; the bread will be unevenly dressed. Taste one of the more saturated pieces.

Heat a spoonful of the olive oil in a small skillet, add the garlic and scallions, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until softened. Don’t let them color. Scrape into the bread and fold to combine. Drain the plumped currants and fold them in, along with the pine nuts, if they were not already mixed with the bread scraps from the broiling step. Dribble the chicken stock or lightly salted water over the salad and fold again.

Pile the bread salad on the serving dish you want to use and tent it with foil. Place the salad in the oven after you flip the chicken the final time, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Tip the bread salad back into the salad bowl. Drizzle and toss with a spoonful of the pan juices. Add the greens, a drizzle of vinaigrette, and fold well.

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.

Sweet & Spicy Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Browder's chicken
• olive oil
• 1 can of beer
• 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1 fresh red chili pepper, deseeded
• 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed
• ½ a bunch of fresh coriander         
  
  For the rub:
• 1 heaped tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 heaped teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 heaped tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 heaped tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1-2 dried red chillies
• 1 heaped teaspoon sea salt
• 1 heaped tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaped tablespoon soft dark brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Remove the chicken from the fridge and leave aside to come up to room temperature. Bash the rub ingredients to a fine powder in a large pestle and mortar, then drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle over the rub and use your hands to massage all those lovely flavours into all the nooks and crannies.

Crack open the beer and pour out around two-thirds of it (or drink it!), then carefully lower the chicken cavity onto the can so it looks like it's sitting up. Position the chicken so it's upright on a roasting tray, then place in the oven and cook for around 1 hour 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. To check it's done, insert a knife into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear.

Brush the chicken all over with the barbecue sauce, then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until dark and sticky. Meanwhile, finely slice the chilli and spring onions and pick the coriander leaves. Once ready, carefully remove and discard the can, then carve up the bird, scatter over the chilli, spring onions and coriander leaves, then serve.

Simple Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

 

Serves 4 to 6

After you cut up your chicken into 8 pieces, boil the neck, back & wing tips to make the chicken broth. Serve with a crusty baguette or couscous.

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 organic chicken, cut into 8 pieces 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 slices bacon, roughly chopped (used Deep Roots Farm pork belly, cured & smoked)    
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (12-ounce) package white mushrooms, quartered
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth      
• 1 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 large sprigs fresh thyme

 

Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Discard drippings and wipe out skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (or heat oil, if using) in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

**Recipe adapted from Whole Foods Market

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