Friday, May 22, 2015

Chicken in a Pot~the Lemon & Garlic Version

 
Per Nana ~
This week's recipe is not really about a "chicken in a pot", it is the
 end result of four plus years of cooking for this project.  As I am 
writing this post I feel a bit sad knowing that it is the last recipe 
that will be prepared from "Around My French Table". 
 We have been looking at this chicken on the cover of this wonderful 
cookbook by Dorie Greenspan and now the time has come to duplicate it.
This is probably the only recipe that I have made from the book where I
 did not substitute or omit any ingredients. I knew that browning a whole
 chicken was not going to be easy so I tied kitchen twine around the breast
 area to keep the wings tight and also tied the legs. That worked pretty well
but trying to brown a chicken on all sides is almost impossible.
After placing the bird in a Dutch oven with all the vegetable, I sealed it
 tight with pizza dough.  Following the directions, I roasted it for 55 minutes
 and the aroma was incredible. I was quite proud of the results. Both the
 chicken and vegetables were cooked to perfection and were delicious.
Per Tricia ~
I will save the reminiscing for the upcoming "fun weeks" when we
 celebrate what this blogging community has shared over the last 4 
plus years, and today I will focus on that amazing chicken. 
"Official Photo" -Ready for the oven
My reality- "Sous Chef" laying in wait

Just when I thought putting a whole chicken and veggies into a pot
 couldn't get much of a new spin, we made it to this recipe. It was not 
matter of unusual spices as much as the instructions to brown the veggies,
 then whole chicken, prior to assembling them in the pot for cooking.
 Oh yes, and use some dough to seal the lid on. 
Right out of the oven
That was a new one indeed. And a fabulous one. 
My husband and I enjoyed this one thoroughly and I will absolutely 
be making it for my sons when they are home. I was eyeing a tool to
 use for leverage on that lid, but in an anti-climatic (but appreciated.....) 
way my lid came off with one solid tug. It still felt fun and I know my
 kids will get a kick out of that step. 
Thank you Dorie and thank you to our Dorista friends - old and new. 
Those we have met in person and those will likely only know through this 
amazing internet community. We look forward to the upcoming celebration
 weeks while cherishing the memories we have built through this adventure. 

Happy French Friday ~

19 comments:

  1. Nana, that's a win. You should be proud. Your Chicken-in-a-Pot is gorgeous. Looking a bit like Dorie's. Why didn't I even think to tie that little critter up for easier browning. Browning the whole chicken was difficult, of course, and the chick's skin tore a time or two. But I agree with you, this was delicious and fun. Using pizza dough does take some mess out of the kitchen and also makes the entire task easier. And, Tricia, as much as I love my old Wagner ware, I'd trade you even up for your copper gem. I was so intent on looking at the dazzling pot, I forgot about the chicken in it. Your crust looks good also and, you're right, your boys will enjoy this. Having a screwdriver nearby (sterilized) is fun. I had a bit of a rough sleep last night - thought I was going to be braver about this conclusion. Just woke up about 2am, read Candy's nostalgic post, and that was it....no more sleep. I think we all reazlize what an amazing experience this has been but, as you suggested, we will be discussion that in the upcoming weeks.

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  2. Nana's right, this week isn't really about chicken in a pot. I'm so glad that I got to know both of you on this multi-year journey we've been on. What an incredible ride it's been. I was always envious of how much fun you seemed to have doing this project together.
    It was wonderful to see you again last weekend! It is amazing how this group has transcended the cyber connections and made them real-life friendships, over and over again.

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  3. The longer we have cooked together, the less it has been about the food.
    I am very happy to have met both of you - virtually and in real life - and I look forward to meeting up with you again in the future (hint, hint :-) )
    P.S. Lovely chickens! And those pots! (both of them)

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  4. One of the reasons I have always enjoyed your dual posts and adventures is because it was my own mother who ignited my desire to cook... and in the early days we would often cook together in her house. We went our separate ways, mostly culinarily....lol... but I think I will try to use this shared skill of ours to bring us further together as I'm sure it has done for you both over the years. Who knows....maybe I'll soon be taking mom across the country to meet a dozen or more of her new cooking buddies?

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  5. You two always create the best posts! I love that you share this journey, compare notes, but also have independent voices. I'm sure that now that you're not exactly down the street from each other, it's a fun bond in the hectic week.

    Both of your dishes look spectacular. Yes, that's the word. A fitting last recipe from the book. I haven't made them all, and likely won't, but there are still several that I would like to make, and have been inspired to do so by you two!

    Enjoy your weekend. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts over the next few weeks!!

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  6. There I was, tearing up a bit, and then burst out laughing at your picture including the furry little sous chef:-) Sometimes the unedited pictures are the best ones.

    I've so enjoyed following your dual perspectives over the past years and look forward to reminiscing with you over the coming weeks.

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  7. This really was a great recipe - a perfect ending to a fun journey! I look forward to our "celebration" weeks, and to see what our new adventures may be.

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  8. Nana: looks beautiful! I also agree that those aromas were just mouth-watering!
    Tricia: also looks gorgeous and I love your copper pot!

    I'm so glad to have followed along with both of you a few years ago and upon returning, too! Looking forward to the next few weeks.

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  9. I'm glad this was a hit in both your households!! We loved it, too (nice to end on a positive note---LOL). Hope you're enjoying the holiday weekend. xo

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  10. Ladies, I am envious of your beautiful pots. Nana, I must get myself a fire engine red La Creuset one day, and Tricia, I can only aspire to a gorgeous gleaming copper pot like yours. This was a delicious last dish, wasn't it. Now for 4 weeks of fun!

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  11. Ladies your chickens both look amazing!! It's been such a joy cooking alongside you these past four years and I hope to finally meet you in person someday!

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  12. Nana: what a beauty of a Chicken in a Pot - truly a marvelous presentation. And I have to agree with you about the difficulty of browning a whole chicken - my kitchen looked like a total mess after that step and so did I, although I used kitchen twine as well. It has been absolutely wonderful getting to know you through your blog - you are such a great story teller and an incredibly talented cook!
    Tricia: I just know that your sons will enjoy this wonderful dish - your Chicken in a Copper Pot looks outstanding (major copper pot envy here) with all those lovely vegetables.. I am truly grateful for having met you through your blog - love to marvel at your photos and love to read all your stories as well - both of you ladies have enriched my life and it is a true pleasure coming here for my weekly visits!
    Thank you for letting me share a part of your lives, even from very far away - I am truly grateful.
    You should really visit me/us in Europe some day, I would so enjoy meeting you!
    Wishing you a nice Memorial Day and long weekend with family and friends,
    Andrea

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  13. Nana, you did a great job browning that whole chicken! FF has become something other than the cooking and I hope we continue as something into the future. Getting to know both of you has been a joy and you have made me feel cared about. That is a very rare gift and I treasure it! Tricia, your copper pot is SO shiny! Mine is not... I hope you both keep blogging whatever the cooking adventure might be!

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  14. Nana, What a great idea to tie the Chicken! It looks stunning! I agree with you that this group is not only about the cooking, but also about the friendships we have forged! Getting to know you has been such a pleasure…you are a inspiration!
    Tricia, I have pan envy!! Gorgeous pot!! Your photos and presentation are stunning, and I love your sous chef lurking in the background! It has been an amazing journey, and I’m so glad to have made it with the two of you! We are fortunate to live so close…this will not be good bye…just a till we meet again! We still have TWD!

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  15. Both of your chickens turned out beautifully! I think that using pizza dough is a good idea. Did you end up eating the dough that way? The dough Dorie had us make was not tasty. At least if you use pizza dough, it stands a chance of tasting good. I really wanted that dough to be something to dip in the juices! lol I've loved getting to know both of you over the past few years, and look forward to our last month of Dorie.

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  16. Well said "amazing internet community". Something I did not expect with this group but so happy to have found. I see you on TWD so will be happy to stay in touch with that community. Looking forward to our final 4.

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  17. Tricia, I was surprised by how tasteless the dough was too (which is silly since I knew full well what was in it!). I kept absent-mindedly dipping it into the sauce, and then being surprised when it tasted awful. Next time I'm going to add least add salt to the dough, or just be smart and serve this with some crusty bread! Nana, using pizza dough was smart. Did it taste good? I'm so glad you're both doing TWD. I have been delinquent lately, but hope to stay involved so I can continue to follow your adventures.

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  18. I'm sorry to be late getting to this wonderful post. How beautiful your chicken looks! And this isn't a dish that's beautiful in the conventional way, but I do love how the flavors come together. This has been a wonderful adventure and I'm so happy that we were able to meet for real and share a few hugs. I hope we will again - xoDorie

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  19. Both of you finished off the book with beautiful results! I've loved cooking alongside you and it's so lovely that you chose to tackle this project together. I'm happy you've joined TwD so that I can keep up with your kitchen adventures.

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