The Ultimate Roast Chicken!

I'm not gonna lie to you here, and I'm not gonna be humble. I make a damn good roast chicken. I've perfected this recipe by carefully layering techniques I've come across throughout my cooking experience, and trial and error. Lots and lots of error. This recipe is easy and quite adaptable. You can change the entire meal simply by varying the herbs. Tarragon, sage or rosemary would all work really well. I'm partial to a mix of thyme, rosemary and lemon when it comes to chicken, though. Classic. There is nothing like sitting down with the family on a chilly fall Sunday evening to a perfectly roasted chicken and root vegetable dinner. Pure comfort food.

Ingredients:

- one 3-4 lbs roasting chicken (preferably kosher, if you can find it)

- one medium lemon

- 2-3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

- 2 or three sprigs of rosemary (leaves only)

- 2 each: intact sprigs of thyme and rosemary

- 1 tbsp olive oil 

- Salt and pepper

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees

- Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towel

- Remove the zest from the lemon and quarter it

- In a small bowl or ramekin  mix the zest, thyme and rosemary leaves and 1/2 tsp coarse salt and pepper.

- Starting at the cavity end of the chicken, slide an index finger under the skin gently prying it away from the flesh. Do this all over the chicken, keeping the skin intact.

- Under the skin, rub the zest, herb, salt and pepper mixture over as much of the meat as possible. 

- Brush the skin liberally with olive oil

- Generously sprinkle the bird with salt and pepper inside and out

- Stuff the cavity with the lemon quarters and whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary

- To roast, place the chicken on its side. Roast on one side for 25 minutes, then switch sides and roast for another 25 minutes. 

- Finish roasting breast side up until the a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 170 degrees and the juices run clear (not pink). This method of roasting allows the fat to redistribute throughout the flesh during the cooking process. This results in a much juicier and more flavourful chicken. 

- Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving. If you want to know why this step is essential and not-optional, I suggest looking here.

I suggest serving this with a nicely peppered arugula salad with a mustard vinaigrette and some sweet roasted root vegetables. A mix of carrots, parsnips and potatoes is my personal favourite.

Maple Pumpkin Butter

After a family trip to Whittamore's Farm earlier this month, I found myself with a few extra Sugar Baby Pumpkins on hand. I'm talking about the mini pie-making pumpkins here, not the giant, pulpy Jack-o-Lantern-destined pumpkins. I also picked up a jar of Pumpkin Jam while at the farm, and I immediately fell in love with the spicy spread...but at $3.99 for the tiniest jar you've ever seen, I knew I'd have to sate my pumpkin cravings with a rendition of my own.

This recipe positively tastes of fall! It's essentially a spreadable pumpkin pie filling, but it's actually healthy for you! Despite its name, there is absolutely no butter in Pumpkin Butter. Think of it as Apple Butter's lesser-known cousin. Pumpkin butter is an exquisite addition to your morning bowl of oatmeal, Greek yogurt (with or without granola), spread on toast, crackers or quick bread or as a topping for pancakes. There are innumerable ways to use this delicious spread. It turns everything it touches into pumpkin pie.  

This recipe makes enough Pumpkin Butter to fill about six pint-size Mason jars. You can easily halve the recipe to make less, but it freezes beautifully and makes a lovely hostess gift! If you aren't in the mood to roast your own pumpkins, feel free to use the canned variety. One 15 oz can equals approximately one small pumpkin. Be sure to pick up pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. 

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs Sugar Pumpkins (approximately three small pumpkins) or three 15oz cans of pumpkin puree
• 2 tbsp of pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves and 1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg)
• 3/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar, unpacked)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup apple cider (or real apple juice such as Simply Apple)
• 3 cups water
•  pinch of salt

Enjoy!