*Do you have trouble making the perfect roast chicken? Breasts too dry, skin too chewy? Have I got a recipe for you! Helen Rennie of Beyond Salmon came up with an endlessly tested, multi-step recipe for the perfect bird. If brining or trussing isn't good enough for you, I urge to check out Helen's inventive and exhaustive--if not exhausting--write-up.
Now here's my caveat: I think foodies' quest for perfection can stem from too many options, too much food. Sure, it's fun to come up with the "perfect" recipe, but it's just as good to eat something, anything when you're truly hungry. Go on a long, strenuous hike and see how good that granola bar and instant coffee taste afterward.
*Do you keep leftovers till they grow mold or do you toss them ruthlessly? This amusing New York Times piece chronicles the wars over leftovers. I'm very much pro-leftovers--here's a recipe for a salad made of leftover grilled chicken, and a post on a potato-and-cheese pie made of leftover mashed potatoes.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
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3 comments:
Wow, Helen really tried all sorts of things with chicken.
I can't say that I've experienced so much anguish over roasted chicken. It's one of my favorite foods, especially when the weather is cool. I love to use the leftovers in all sorts of things, even made a roasted chicken chili. It came together pretty quickly since the chicken was already cooked.
Anna--Yeah, for me roast chicken has been a pretty low-maintenance recipe. Organic, brined chicken has worked well for me. Usually I just roast it breast down w/some butter and salt/pepper, though.
Wow -- those are quite the chicken-related efforts!
It's true that perfect, when it comes to food, is often over-rated. More often, I find that the joy of homemade food comes from its relative imperfection -- those variables that can only come through regular old effort.
And Julia -- I'm with you on the chicken. Brining works wonders. We have a lovely maple brine that we enjoy with both chicken and turkey. Fabulous.
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