"You have an unusually large head, I would love to hat it!"
"Hat it?"
"What I could do with this monument, this orb! Well then, shall it be a bonnet or a boater? Or something for the boudoir? Cloche, dunce hat, bed cap, coif, snood, babush, yamaka, pork pie, tam'o'shantor, bi-corn, tri-corn, bandeau..."- Mad Hatter to the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland.
Well, that is quite a list of hats. There were more but the Mad Hatter was speaking so fast I couldn't catch them all. I do love this Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland. It's a little dark and scary, fabulous to look at and I am always taken by how a milliner's, or hatter's, workroom in a movie looks so much like mine. You must be able to make many different hats!
Cooking chicken is the same. Should it be poached, fried, breaded, pounded, sautéd, baked, boiled, broiled, barbecued, stuffed, ground, deboned, skinned, braised or roasted? Believe me I have tried it all. Like making a favorite hat, I have a favorite cooking method. They say you can tell how well someone cooks by their roast chicken. And everyone seems to have their own way. I have combined several techniques and I think this is the best way to roast a chicken, thanks to Julia Child, Mario Batali and Jamie Oliver. I use a rack in the pan so the heat is all around the chicken and I can strew vegetables in the bottom.
Roast Chicken
3-4 lb. organic, free-range whole chicken
1 tsp. sea salt
1 bunch sage leaves
1 lemon, quartered,
4 tbs. compound butter; softened butter mixed with finely chopped tarragon, thyme leaves and sea salt
olive oil
vegetables for strewing; can include carrots, potatoes, peppers, fennel
1 large cast-iron skillet and a chicken rack
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
Remove the bag of chicken parts. Save for later. Rinse the chicken in hot water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Sprinkle the inside cavity with sea salt. Stuff in the bunch of sage leaves. Squeeze a little lemon juice from each quarter into the cavity and stuff in the lemon wedges. Loosen the skin over the breasts and spread 2 tbs. of the compound butter over each breast under the skin. Tuck the ends of the wings behind the back of the bird. I don't truss, I like the legs open so the inside thigh meat cooks before the breasts dry out. Make a small slit in the inside thigh where it connects to the body, this will also help to cook the thighs by the bone. Massage the chicken all over with olive oil.
Place the chicken on its side on the rack. Roast in the hot oven for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over to the other side and roast another 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and put the chicken on its back. Baste with any juices in the pan. Strew your selection of vegetables in the pan, baste with the juices and continue roasting another 30-45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. The chicken is done when the temperature reaches 160 degrees, or the leg wiggles and the juices are clear. Remove the chicken to a platter to rest and cover loosely with foil.
Stir the vegetables and continue roasting until they are caramelized and tender. Serve family style with the carved chicken.
You can then use the carcass and the neck, etc. from the bag of parts to make a stock. (Except the liver, which I sauté and add to a potato salad). Simmer gently in water to cover for 1-1 1/2 hours with a carrot, celery, bay leaf and a bouquet of herbs or parsley stems. Skim any foam off the top as it simmers. Cool, strain, store in fridge, use within 2 days.
Yummy, evenly cooked every time. Thanks to Julia for the roasting each side first technique, to Mario for the tip of slitting the thigh and to Jamie for the compound butter under the skin. A perfect creation...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy Shop.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Prince and Rice Pudding
"She's quite what you call old hat."
"And I'm what you call new hat?"
"Better an old hat than a bare head."-Prince and the Showgirl (1947)
This exchange is part of a conversation between Lawrence Olivier as the Prince and Marilyn Monroe as the Showgirl in the 1947 film. I have read that there were tensions between these two actors but it is one of my favorite Marilyn Monroe films. And she gets to attend a Royal wedding.
It is funny how once again a hat is a symbol for something else, in this case something a bit risque. These two characters dance around each other and end up having a good time in spite of themselves. That white dress that Miss Monroe spends most of the movie wearing is almost a scene stealer.
Creamy white rice pudding is also a scene stealer. For such a humble dessert it can be so satisfying. If you serve it with a fruit preserve or compote in a parfait glass it is ready for a closeup.
Rice Pudding
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 tbs. butter
4-5 cups hot milk
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plum preserves
Sauté the rice in the butter until all the rice kernels are coated. Add 4 cups of the hot milk, the sugar, lemon zest and salt. Cook for about an hour over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes. If the pudding gets too thick add a little more hot milk. The consistency should stay loose, it will thicken a lot as it cools. The rice should be very creamy with a tiny bit of bite at the center of the kernels.
When the pudding is ready, layer it into parfait glasses with the plum preserves. Chill before serving.
White and scrumptious, as good as Marilyn in that white dress!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
"And I'm what you call new hat?"
"Better an old hat than a bare head."-Prince and the Showgirl (1947)
This exchange is part of a conversation between Lawrence Olivier as the Prince and Marilyn Monroe as the Showgirl in the 1947 film. I have read that there were tensions between these two actors but it is one of my favorite Marilyn Monroe films. And she gets to attend a Royal wedding.
It is funny how once again a hat is a symbol for something else, in this case something a bit risque. These two characters dance around each other and end up having a good time in spite of themselves. That white dress that Miss Monroe spends most of the movie wearing is almost a scene stealer.
Creamy white rice pudding is also a scene stealer. For such a humble dessert it can be so satisfying. If you serve it with a fruit preserve or compote in a parfait glass it is ready for a closeup.
Rice Pudding
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 tbs. butter
4-5 cups hot milk
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup plum preserves
Sauté the rice in the butter until all the rice kernels are coated. Add 4 cups of the hot milk, the sugar, lemon zest and salt. Cook for about an hour over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes. If the pudding gets too thick add a little more hot milk. The consistency should stay loose, it will thicken a lot as it cools. The rice should be very creamy with a tiny bit of bite at the center of the kernels.
When the pudding is ready, layer it into parfait glasses with the plum preserves. Chill before serving.
White and scrumptious, as good as Marilyn in that white dress!
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Hedy Lamarr and Scarlet Runner Beans
"Watch out for your stovepipe."-Spencer Tracy to Hedy Lamarr in the film, I Take This Woman, 1940
The hats of this era were very sculptural. Hence the comment from Spencer Tracy. Hedy Lamarr's hat did resemble a stovepipe. It was also a nick-name for a top hat. She wore a very interesting outfit with this rather plain column shaped creation. It was adorned with dangling balls. The movie plot itself was pretty forgettable, mostly interesting as a visual treat and a chance to see Miss Lamarr. She was very beautiful and didn't make very many movies.
A visual treat in the garden are scarlet runner beans. Beautiful red flowers turn into big pods with large purple beans inside. The beans are big enough to cut with a knife and fork when cooked and served. I felt a little like Mickey Mouse in the cartoon, Mickey and the Beanstalk. He has one bean and it is big enough to cut with a knife and fork. Well, we know what became of that bean. My neighbor had some of these bean plants cascading over a low brick wall. The person tending this particular garden never picked them so I did some foraging. A cup of these delicious beans in a homemade pesto sauce, served over my favorite gluten-free pasta was a memorable dish.
Scarlet Runner Beans in Pesto
serves 4 people as a side dish
1 cup dried Scarlet Runner beans
1 bay leaf
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
2 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
salt to taste
1 8oz. box of Ancient Harvest corn and quinoa linguine
Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain and cover with fresh water, add the bay leaf and thyme and simmer until tender, about 1- 1/2 hours. Salt to taste after the beans are cooked. Drain off all but 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
To make the pesto, process the basil leaves and olive oil in a small food processor, mix in the grated cheese. Mix with the beans while they are still warm.
Cook the pasta until al dente in boiling salted water. Toss with the pesto and bean mixture. Serve with a grating of fresh Parmagiano-Reggiano and a squeeze of lemon juice.
I can't wait until next spring to plant my own crop of scarlet runner beans...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
The hats of this era were very sculptural. Hence the comment from Spencer Tracy. Hedy Lamarr's hat did resemble a stovepipe. It was also a nick-name for a top hat. She wore a very interesting outfit with this rather plain column shaped creation. It was adorned with dangling balls. The movie plot itself was pretty forgettable, mostly interesting as a visual treat and a chance to see Miss Lamarr. She was very beautiful and didn't make very many movies.
A visual treat in the garden are scarlet runner beans. Beautiful red flowers turn into big pods with large purple beans inside. The beans are big enough to cut with a knife and fork when cooked and served. I felt a little like Mickey Mouse in the cartoon, Mickey and the Beanstalk. He has one bean and it is big enough to cut with a knife and fork. Well, we know what became of that bean. My neighbor had some of these bean plants cascading over a low brick wall. The person tending this particular garden never picked them so I did some foraging. A cup of these delicious beans in a homemade pesto sauce, served over my favorite gluten-free pasta was a memorable dish.
Scarlet Runner Beans in Pesto
serves 4 people as a side dish
1 cup dried Scarlet Runner beans
1 bay leaf
1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves
2 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmagiano-Reggiano
salt to taste
1 8oz. box of Ancient Harvest corn and quinoa linguine
Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain and cover with fresh water, add the bay leaf and thyme and simmer until tender, about 1- 1/2 hours. Salt to taste after the beans are cooked. Drain off all but 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
To make the pesto, process the basil leaves and olive oil in a small food processor, mix in the grated cheese. Mix with the beans while they are still warm.
Cook the pasta until al dente in boiling salted water. Toss with the pesto and bean mixture. Serve with a grating of fresh Parmagiano-Reggiano and a squeeze of lemon juice.
I can't wait until next spring to plant my own crop of scarlet runner beans...
To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.
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