Roast Chicken Sundays

Tis a cold and stormy evening and I sense some good old fashioned cooking coming my way. A sizzling roast, Doubley Delish tatter mash, garlicky green beans, and stuffing all drowning in a delicately flavorful camel hued gravy. I believe with some recipes simplicity is key, and my Roast Chicken Dinner is no exception. Notice I do not truss the chicken. This is not necessary. I cheated with stuffing and just served stove top. I do have a super fancy stuffing I make sometimes, but I was going for a simple non stressful dinner.



Roast Chicken


1 Four Pound Chicken
½ Stick Melted Butter, unsalted
1 ½ TBS Dijon Mustard
3 Fresh Sprigs of Rosemary, from my Garden, Each cut in 1/2
6 Cloves of Garlic, 4 bruised, and 2 Sliced
½ a Sweet Onion, Sliced into ½ inch slices
½ a Carrot, cut into 3 inch spears
Salt/ Pepper Nutmeg
1 Pint of Water

Oven: 400 Degrees Fahrenheit ( Note, I have a cheap heat inefficient oven, so use your discretion)

Take chicken out of fridge one hour before preparing it and wash the bird, remove giblets. Pat dry on all sides with paper towels or cloth towel, (throw cloth towel into the laundry directly after using). Melt butter and stir in mustard. Set Chicken on V-rack and put into roasting pan. Rub top of the chicken with butter mixture then tuck the wing tips under the bird. Toss into the bottom of the roasting pan 2 rosemary sprig halves, the 4 bruised garlic cloves, carrot, and onion. Stuff into the bird the rest of the rosemary, garlic slices, 2 tsp of the butter mixture, and salt the cavity liberally. Pop into oven and cook for 1 hour. Take bird out, season the top with salt/ pepper/ nutmeg, then flip with large sturdy tongs. Baste the other side with the rest of the Butter mixture. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 40 more minutes or until the breast reaches 180 degrees. Take out and leave to rest. Start Preparing your tatters roughly ½ hour before you think the chicken should be done.

Doubley Delish Mash

6 yellow Potatoes, quarted
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut the same size as the yellow tatter pieces
2-3 TBS Butter
¼ Cup of Milk
Salt and Nutmeg

Put at the potatoes into a smallish pot. Salt them, just barely cover with water, pop lid on and put onto a stove top at full whack. Once boiling lower to medium, medium high. Leave partially covered and cook for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and return to pot. Set back on element and dry off the moisture a little. Add a little salt, nutmeg, the butter and milk. Stir and mash the tatters till they look the way you like them. Taste and adjust as you see fit.

Chicken Gravy

Drained Chicken Fat/ Juices ( I use a fancy all in one Chicken fat/ juice drainer Pouring device that drains and eliminates the fat all the same time)
1 can of Swanson’s Chicken Broth
¼ Cup of white flour
Water
Salt / Pepper / Nutmeg

Add Chicken Juices with a touch of the fat to a pan. Add the broth. Bring to a boil. Stir flour into enough water to liquefy it. Once broth/juices/fats are boiling add flour mixture while stirring constantly. Keep on stirring till you reach desired thickness. Taste and season accordingly.

Garlic Green Beans

1 Handful of frozen green beans per person
1-2 cloves of garlic per handful of green beans, crushed
Garlic Salt
Oil

Heat oil on medium high in a wok. Add green beans. Stir-fry till green beans are no longer frozen. Add garlic. Stir-fry till green beans are as tender as you like them. Season with garlic salt liberally.