Tuscan Chicken

I’ve read several variations of this recipe, experimented and added a few additional elements along the way…

So far, this has been the best – you have to try this – simple to prepare and cook, unique and very refreshing…

2 oranges

grated rind of these two oranges

3 lemons

2 limes

8 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1 teaspoon, dried dill

1 teaspoon, fresh chives chopped

1 tablespoon, fresh parsley chopped course

4 tablespoons, fresh basil chopped course

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon, kosher salt

3-4 grinds, fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup, EVOO

3 1/2 to 5 pound cut up chicken, bone in

Grate the rind from the oranges in to a large bowl;

Get out the juicer, cut all fruit in half and squeeze out the juice and pour in to the large bowl with the grated rind;

Then add the salt and pepper, olive oil, dill, garlic and pepper flakes (hint: hold you hand over the pepper flakes on the chopping board and run your knife through them a few times) – whisk in the parsley and basil;

Rinse the chicken pieces, pad dry with paper towel and place in a pan or baking dish – large enough so all chicken pieces are touching bottom;

Pour 1 1/2 cups of the marinade over the chicken, reserve the rest;

Coat the chicken well and cover for one hour, turn and re-coat the pieces a few times during the hour – don’t leave the chicken in the pan much more than an hour, the citrus acid will start ‘cooking’ the chicken;

While chicken is marinading, fire up the gas grill to high with lid down til it hits 500 – place chicken on the gril, indirect heat, close lid and cook on med-high for 20 minutes, turn chicken and cook for 20-30 minutes more;

Pull when juices run clear, middle internal temperature at 180;

Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes, drizzle with the remaining marinade and serve;

This recipe works exceptionally well using charcoal too – you just can’t beat the taste of food cooked on real coals, but please use a chimney to light to charcoal and let them go white before dumping, not lighter fluid.

Oven Roasted Chicken

This could very well be better than Grandmothers’… and simple to prepare (also, a second (secret) “bonus” chicken recipe follows).

1 5-7 lb roasting chicken

2 carrots chopped course

2 celery stalks chopped course, with leaves

1 medium onion chopped course

5 garlic cloves chopped course

1/2 of a lemon

1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

fresh ground pepper and kosher salt

olive oil

Note: If making garlic mashed potatoes below, cut top off of one medium garlic bulb, place in foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, tightly wrap bulb in foil, and set on oven rack while chicken is roasting – 30 minutes should be long enough – remove from oven, leave wrapped in the foil until you’re ready to add to the potatoes.

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Pre-heat oven to 350.

Rinse chicken well in cold water, pat dry and set in 6 quart roaster.

In a large bowl, place all ingredients, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix well.

Let chicken sit in the roaster at room temperature, and mix sit in the bowl, for 15 minutes.

Rub inside cavity with one teaspoon of fresh ground pepper and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Stuff cavity with mixture… over-stuffing is just fine, just keep pounding it in there, let extra fall out in to roaster.

Add 1/2 cup of water or so to roaster, just enough to cover bottom.

Drizzle olive oil on breast and rub over the whole chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place in oven, covered, roast for 40 minutes, then uncover and roast for 30 minutes more (if you’re going to use drippings for gravy later, add another 1/2 cup of water);

Check with meat thermometer after an hour and 10 minutes…  pull from oven when bottom of breast and thigh center is 170 (or when joints are jiggly and juices are clear).

Place chicken on platter and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This goes very well with garlic mashed potatoes:

Peel and quarter 5-6 large potatoes (Russets, Idaho, Yukon, doesn’t matter), bring half full 4 quart pot of salted (two tablespoons kosher salt) water to a boil, and boil on high heat for 20 minutes or until tender all the way through when poked with a fork;

Drain in colander, place potatoes back in pot, squish out the roasted garlic from the bulb, grind away with the pepper mill 5-6 cranks, add a few tablespoons of real butter, a few splashes of milk,  and mash away with manual masher (somehow the end result tastes better that using an electric mixer; have no idea why – because its the way your grandmother did it..?)

And, fresh hot rolls, and  plain old fashion fresh steamed green beans round things out nicely.

Optional – warm up a can of gravy; unless you want to make gravy from the drippings – place drippings in medium saucepan, add 1/2 – 3/4 cups of water depending how much drippings are left, bring to medium boil, add 1 heavy tablespoon of cornstarch, and use a whisk stirring with vigor for one minute, remove from heat and let stand a bit before stirring again and serving.

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Bonus Chicken Recipe

When discussing this oven roasted chicken post on Twitter, along with qualities of fine single malt scotch with my friends Ellen  (@ECGreaves) and Diane (@ChicagoDiane) (although Diane prefers “White Liquors”);

…in the heat of spirited discussion, deciding between single malt by a roaring fire now, or wait for our tweetcocktail event in the Caribbean after the holidays and enjoy mojitos and perfect martinis with stuffed olives… through my use of skilled interrogation methods, a (secret) “Bonus” chicken recipe was thrust forward by Ellen -  – all in 140 characters..!!

@gtiadvisors: 3-4# chicken, split w/cut down backbone, spread on baking sheet, sprinkle w/Herbes de Province + kosher salt. 350 for 65 min.

Thought I’d include two Herbs de Province recommendations:

Herbs De Province Spice Mix (you can also buy it pre-mixed off the shelf)

Ingredients (34 servings)

3 tb Dried marjoram
3 tb Dried thyme
3 tb Dried savory
1 ts Dried basil
1 ts Dried rosemary
1/2 ts Dried sage
1/2 ts Fennel seeds

Instructions

Combine all ingredients. Mix well and spoon into small jars. Makes  3/4 cup. Use to seasonchicken, vegetables or meat.

Example two:

2 tb Dried Basil
4 ts Dried oregano
2 tb Dried marjoram
2 ts Dried thyme
1 tb Dried sage
1 ts Dried mint
1 tb Dried rosemary
1 tb Fennel seed
1 tb Dried lavender (optional)

In a food processor or blender mix to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container away from light and heat for up to 3 months. Sprinkle lightly on fish andor poultry before baking or grilling. Mix with steamed vegetables; stir into rice and other grains.