It has been a while since I offered a “Sunday Supper” post. I am committed to urging you all to think about good, slow, and sometimes important meals, with people, on Sundays. Alas, though I cast out a few lines and hooks today I was not with people for Sunday Supper, but – undaunted – I have a post anyway!
Tonight I did a couple things with rosemary. Bought rosemary… how I miss my garden.
In this corner, weighing in at 3.5 lbs, an ex-chicken. Like any fighter it was rubbed down… with butter and pepper. I stuffed it with lemon pieces and extra zest, and rosemary sprigs.
Into the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue’s toaster oven at 450F for 15, and then back to 375 for another hour.
Meanwhile, fun with rosemary continues. As I watched a couple episodes of season 4 of The West Wing (Pres. Bartlett seems like Ronald Reagan compared to the present guy… but I digress), a pre-prandial is in order.
Years ago a priest friend of mine (we were in seminary together), Fr. Alain Boussand, introduced me to the aperitif Suze. I remember exactly where we were: Chartres at an outdoor cafe/bar. We were heading south to Rome after the summer, looking at Romanesque churches, Paray Le Monial, Ars, Le Barroux …. When I was in Paris with some friends not too long ago, I reintroduced myself, and them, to Suze. It was a hit. It wasn’t available in these USA until recently.
Here is a cocktail I found suggested online.
In an old fashioned glass and over ice…
- 1/3 Suze
- 2/3 Tonic
- A splash of peach syrup
- A sprig of rosemary
- A 1/4 lime
Refreshing! It prepared the palate well for the chicken.
Yes, that’s hiragana in the background. I have it pinned up on the wall. I’m repacked it.
Meanwhile, here’s the chicken.
Tonight’s chicken was accompanied by a romaine lettuce salad with tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. I cut up tomatoes and macerated them with nearly transparent slivers of garlic, ground pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar and first press olive oil.
Savory and satisfying.
As I munched I remembered a wonderful roast chicken my friend Fr. Tim Finigan and I devoured in his rectory at Blackfen … in happier days for Blackfen. We had golden roasted potatoes and a squishy cake with a warm sweet sauce. A great memory.
Sunday Supper… plan for it. Make it special.
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Looks good, Father! Nice to see you prevail with the limited cooking area and fresh ingredients.
In my corner here, I made a roasted Pork Belly. I ‘spose you’ve noticed its the latest fad? Probably related to the growing fascination with everything bacon.
Score the fat. Salt it. Sear it. Pour white wine in the pan and let it come to a boil on the stove. Then roast fat side up in a very hot oven, reducing the temp after about 15 minutes. Well there’s a few more flavorings I added, but that the basics.
This try wasn’t as good as my first try last week. Different grocer, different cut. Too much salt, oops.
It all sounds yummy, Father Z. People who didn’t go for the bait missed out! I love rosemary! Where do you get your peach syrup and what brand, or do you make it? I wonder if peach schnapps would work?
We had the mother-in-law over for Sunday Supper together. Fun with blackberry! I made a Guy Fieri recipe of grilled pork tenderloin with blackberry jalapeno glaze (with a few tweaks for my taste). Everyone thought it was delicious so I recommend giving it a try. ( *I added a teaspoon or two of light agave syrup and salt and pepper to taste and doubled the recipe for the glaze. It also took more cornstarch to thicken to my liking.) We had sliced sweet potatoes and onions roasted in a tiny bit of olive oil with salt and pepper (easy), and rice a roni (yeah…I know, but my son loves it and my mother-in-law will eat it, and she doesn’t like a lot) on the side. Homemade blackberry pie for dessert.
“In this corner, weighing in at 3.5 lbs, an ex-chicken.”
As sung by Simon and Garfunkel:
“In the clearing stands a chicken,
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev’ry peck that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame,
‘I am eaten, I am eaten.’
But the fighter still remains.
Lie-la-lie…”
The Chicken
I know it’s from Season 3, but…”I’m sorry, but I love my country. Charlie, get me the number for the Butterball Hotline.”
I love the Supper Sunday for our family. I would love to have my children and grandchildren at the table together………even once a month……but alas, everyone is too busy. Sigh.
Chatto: And from Season 7:
CJ: “I don’t know…. I’d like to learn how to make a chicken like that.”
Toby: “Stick a lemon up it and throw on some rosemary.”
CJ: “Yeah?”
Toby: “Yeah, a little salt.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKss2pBYQ6Y
[Wow… that’a blast from the past.]
Preparation is important.
Make a simple solution Honey and water (about a 1/2 cup of honey into a two cup of water). Heat the water until the honey is dissolved.
Pour that lightly heated water into a larger pot of cold water…
BRINE the chicken (for about an hour or two) in a solution of large pot of water… Throw in a a bunch of salt (don’t worry – it won’t all be absorbed)
Remove the chicken… drain, dry thoroughly, then season and cook as you desire.
That’s a beautiful bird there. You can never go wrong combining rosemary with roasting things.
I learned the hard way a number of years ago that fresh rosemary can easily overpower whatever you’re making if you’re not careful. The roasted potatoes that I made were almost inedible.
When I say fresh, I mean really fresh, as in just snipped off the plant.
I tried to be adventurous when roasting a chicken and moved away from making Engagement Chicken to doing the same as above, but I must have done something wrong because it turned out tasting like a tree. Now I can’t bring myself to use rosemary.
[Try thyme or sage. Try cutting down the quantity.]