Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

We had a lot of peeled garlic left over from another project this week, and decided to try '40 Clove Chicken'. There are lots of ways to do this, but we chose a very simple recipe that was easy for a weeknight. It was even easier because we already had the peeled garlic - the most time-consuming part of the recipe - and you can buy containers of peeled garlic in the grocery now.

This recipe is low-carb, a benefit we immediately discarded because it would be tragic to have all of that wonderful roasted garlic without good, crusty bread to smear it on ;-)

The '40 Cloves' part is really an approximation; for the average chicken, you'll want:

Three or four heads of Garlic (or equivalent pre-peeled cloves), separated and peeled

A Chicken, 3 to 5 lbs.

Branches of fresh thyme and Rosemary (we used about 20 stems of thyme, and just a few Rosemary stems)

A large Lemon (or two small ones) sliced thinly

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Spatchcock your chicken - if you haven't done this before, here's Chef John of Food Wishes, showing how:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppa1bxB89vg

3. Oil a baking pan large enough to hold the chicken with Olive Oil, and place the garlic cloves in the center of the pan. Layer the lemon slices over the garlic, and place the thyme and rosemary branches on top of that.

4. Rub Olive Oil all over your chicken, and season with Salt and Pepper. Place the chicken on top of the garlic/lemon/herbs.

5. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 to finish baking (40 or 50 minutes, and until skin runs clear and temp is up to 165 degrees).

This does not come out tasting sharply garlicky: the garlic will roast, and become very mild, perfect for spreading on good Italian or French bread.

Some recipes for this use a whole chicken, and some use chicken parts; and many recipes include Vermouth - or white wine, if you don't like the flavor that Vermouth gives to food (I don't).

Here is a version from Nigella (be sure to read her directions - Nigella writes beautifully about food):

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/chicken-with-40-cloves-of-garlic-recipe.html

And one that Julia Child appears to have considered top-notch:

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/gourmetlive/2012/081512/chicken-roasted-with-garlic-cloves-recipe.html

-JT

[Liz]

"Mesquite-grilled chicken or fish combined with cold elements -- we invented that," the Ivy's chef/co-owner Richard Irving (113 N. Robertson Blvd.) told the Hollywood Reporter of the restaurant's famed salad ($18 and up, depending on protein choice).There are a lot of components, so no one can re-create it properly, even though they try. The dish has been on the menu since 1983, Irving says, and it's still going strong." Calorie count: 350; 500 with chicken or shrimp. No carbs.

The Ivy's Grilled Vegetable Salad

PIC/COURTESY THE IVY

Grilled fresh corn is tossed with avocado, asparagus, tomato, baby lettuce,
zucchini and a secret vinaigrette, made fresh every morning. But the piece de
resistance is added mesquite-grilled shrimp or free-range chicken.

[Liz]

A "Southern recipe" is always a treat....and here they use
fresh garden vegetables. This Southern method is a cinch.

SOUTHERN SQUASH AND ONIONS

Sprinkle flour over sliced yellow squash/onions. Mix
w/ hands to coat. Fry in hot oil til crisp and browned.

[Liz]

It's not a photoshop---the thickness of the luscious mocha icing on
Pioneer Woman Ree's brownies almost surpasses the brownie, itself.

MOCHA ICED BROWNIES

PREP micro/melt choc in 30-sec increments;cool slightly.

BATTER cream butter/ sugar. Beat in eggs; on low speed, drizzle in melted chocolate. Add vanilla; mix. Now add flour; mix/just combine. Pour into sprayed 8" square; Spread evenly. Bake 325 deg 45 min; center is no longer soft; cool.

When cool, ice thickly. Fridge/firm. Slice. SERVE

ICING slightly combine butter, conf sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, then 1/2 c coffee. Whip light and fluffy. If overly thick, add 1/4 c cup offee.

ING Brownies: 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 2 sticks butter 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 3 teaspoons vanilla 1-1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

ING Icing: 2 sticks butter, softened 5 sifted cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup coffee, strongly brewed, cooled