JC100 Roast Chicken

This week's recipe coming from Julia Child is for her very well known roast chicken.  This roast chicken is the epitome of simplicity and teaches us that something really doesn't have to be complicated to be wonderful.

The second thing I knew was that I waned to use my T-Fal Actifry to make sweet potato fries. I've already tried regular french fries  here  in my Acti-Fry and wanted to give the sweet potato its turn.  If you want your sweet potato fries crispier, add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to the mix and then add your tablespoon of oil.  I don't mind a softer fry so I peeled and cut up 2 sweet potatoes making sure they were evenly cut so they would cook evenly.  Add your Tablespoon of oil (I used canola) and set time for 28 minutes.  The result was  soft fries (fine by me) and super delicious and entirely guilt free.  I added a smattering of kosher salt to the top.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken
• 1 small yellow onion, quartered
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup celery leaves
• Salt and black pepper
• Butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash the chicken in hot water and dry thoroughly. Season the cavity with salt and black pepper and stuff with the onion, lemon, and celery leaves. Rub the chicken lightly with softened butter and season all over with salt and pepper. Tie the drumsticks ends together and set the chicken, breast side up, in an oiled v-shaped rack or on an oiled roasting pan in the oven.

Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, baste the chicken, and roast for 15 minutes. Add the chopped onion and carrot to the pan, basting them and the chicken. Continue roasting the chicken until the juices run clear, for a total of 45 minutes plus an additional 7 minutes for each pound. (In other words, a 3 1/2 pound chicken would take a basic 45 minutes plus an additional 25 minutes, for a total 70 minutes or 1 hour and 10 minutes of cooking time.)

Remove the chicken and spoon the fat out of the roasting pan. Into the pan, stir in the herbs and blend in the broth and, stirring constantly, boil for several minutes on the stovetop to concentrate the flavor. Correct the seasoning and strain the sauce into a warm sauceboat. Carve the chicken and serve with the warm sauce.  You're a rock star with minimal effort.

French Toast Bake

It probably shouldn't be me blogging about this, since Giz is the one that made this delicious French Toast Bake recipe.  But, I guess being the one who took the pictures...and the one who ate most of it puts me in a good position to talk about it.

At first, I was skeptical.  I like my french toast made with challah, soaked in a healthy amount of milk and egg just before pan frying (results in a french toast that is on the softer side) and with syrup on top.


French Toast Bake
source

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

1 cup brown sugar
1 loaf Texas toast (we used challah)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions
1. Melt butter in microwave & add brown sugar….stir till mixed.
2. Pour butter/sugar mix into bottom of 9 x 13 pan….spread around
3. Beat eggs, milk, & vanilla
4. Lay single layer of Texas Toast in pan
5. Spoon 1/2 of egg mixture on bread layer
6. Add 2nd layer of Texas Toast
7. Spoon on remaining egg mixture
8. Cover & chill in fridge overnight
9. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes
10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar

11. Serve with warm maple syrup

Delicious! We found that the top layer wasn't as coated with the flavouring as the bottom.  So, eating it upside down may be the way to go in the future.  I also quite liked the leftovers cold (but maybe I'm strange that way).  Of course, one of the biggest pros of this recipe is that you make it in advance, which is great for when you have company.

Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

Speaking to my friend, I was asking about recipes that could work for an every night or entertainment table.  I love foods with colour and texture and love love integrating something new.  My friend shared with me that she saw something really interesting and that she would send me the recipe.

I couldn't imagine pickling sugar snap peas but I did and I love them and as long as I can find sweet peas I'll be making sure I have these in the house.

Adapted from The Joy of Pickling via Epicurious

1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 tablespoon kosher or pickling salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed and strings removed
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 or 2 small dried chile peppers, slit lengthwise or a couple pinches dried red pepper flakes


In a nonreactive saucepan, heat the vinegar with the salt and sugar until they are dissolved. Remove from the heat, and add the cold water. (This gives you a leg up on getting the liquid to cooling the liquid.)
When the vinegar mixture is cool, pack the sugar snaps, garlic and chile peppers or flakes into a 1-quart jar or bowl, and pour the brine over it. Cover with a non-reactive cap, or plastic wrap.
The original recipe suggests you store the jar in the refrigerator for two weeks before eating the pickled peas.  They have a pickled taste after 24 hours and I'd be curious to know if they lasted the 2 weeks in the fridge at your place.  


This recipe took no time at all to prep and no processing.