ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE AND SCENES FROM THE RABBITT'S 2020 THANKSGIVING FEAST!

I am not sure I will ever make Pumpkin Pie again for Thanksgiving as this pie was richer, tastier and had a creamy, beautiful texture. I found the recipe online and changed it up a bit by making it with a Ginger Snap crust. I also thought serving the pie with ginger infused whipped cream would make it extra special. It did! And finally, my good friend and fellow foodie, Dorita Pina, told me she always roasts pecans using maple syrup instead of sugar and thought this would also be a nice touch on our Thanksgiving Day pie. Brilliant Dorita! The nuts were very crispy and flavorful making an attractive border on the pie.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE

Ingredients: FOR THE FILLING

 3 large eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used roasted cinnamon for added flavor.)

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups roasted butternut squash, pureed

Ingredients: FOR THE CRUST

1/2 cup Ginger Snaps, crushed

1/2 cup Graham Crackers, crushed

3/4 cup pecans, very finely chopped (I used my Mini-Max food processor.)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. dried Ginger powder

5 Tbsp. butter

That sounds like a lot of butter, but it really keeps the crust together and as it pre-bakes becomes caramelized. Bake the crust in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 12 minutes. If doing ahead of time let the crust cool completely, then cover and place in fridge until ready to fill.

Ingredients: FOR THE ROASTED PECANS

1 lb. pecan halves

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 large egg white, beaten until frothy

1 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients and spread nuts out on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with PAM. Bake in 300 degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes until nuts are nicely browned. Stir a couple times as they bake to make sure all the nuts crisp up evenly. Cool. This is also many more nuts than needed to ring the pie, but the nuts store well in a covered jar for up to a week.

I roasted twice as much squash as needed for the pie, but it's nice to have it all cooked in the fridge. I also roasted and pureed the squash the day before Thanksgiving and made the crust day before, too. On the morning of the holiday I made the filling, baked the pie, made the maple candied pecans and infused the whipped cream with ginger. 

Ingredients FOR GINGER INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 inch knob of fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced 

2 Tbsp. of candied ginger, chopped.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream with the gingers over medium heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, but let it cool in the pan. Strain through a fine mesh sieve pushing on the ginger to extract flavor. Chill thoroughly before whipping. I also like to chill the beaters in the freezer before whipping and place the chilled cream in freezer for about 5 minutes before whipping. This allows the cream to whip much faster. 

TO ROAST THE SQUASH:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and salt lightly. Place the squash on a foiled baking sheet and roast for about 40 - 45 minutes or until squash is very tender. Let cool and then scoop out the squash from the skin. Because it is so tender it is easy to mash with a large fork. Set aside. 

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

If doing all the same day, reduce oven temp to 365 degrees. 

In a large bowl beat eggs thoroughly. One by one, add sugar, spices, salt, vanilla, cream and squash puree. Pour the mixture into a 10 inch pie plate. I still had a little mixture left over so made a mini pie in a ramekin. 

Bake on a baking sheet until filling is set, about 45 - 50 minutes. The center of the pie will still be a bit wobbly. Cool to room temp on a wire rack. Once cooled, arrange the Maple Candied Pecans. 

Here's the pie out of the oven, cooled with its Maple Candied Pecan edging. This pie sounds like a lot of work, but because you can do so many things ahead of time, it really is not.

And here's my husband, Jerry with JoJo 
on his lap, enjoying the first piece of pie!
...well, Jerry is! JoJo not so interested.

Last time you saw our complete menu. The brined and smoked turkey was a huge hit. I brined the bird for 2 days prior to smoking. This is the brine I used:

TURKEY BRINE

2 gallons water

1 1/2 cups Kosher salt

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. black pepper corns

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 large sprigs of fresh sage

Combine all and stir until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. I used a turkey oven roasting bag to brine the turkey, which worked well. Place the turkey in any food-grade bucket or brining bag. Seal and place in a large roaster in case your bag starts to leak, which mine did. Turn the turkey morning and night to ensure that all sides benefit from the brine.

I had never smoked a turkey and was concerned it might dry out so also made an Apple Cider reduction to baste the bird as it smoked.

APPLE CIDER REDUCTION

Reduce by half: 2 cups apple cider, 3 Tbsp. maple syrup, 1 stick cinnamon. This can also be made a few days in advance. 

I couldn't believe how burnished the skin became. This bird was moist, juicy and flavorful. And, VERY smoky!

Since I had the smoker going I decided to smoke some chicken livers to make BOURBON INFUSED LIVER PATE with smoky bread toast points!

You can find these recipes on my blog. The only difference is I smoked the chicken livers for about 20 minutes before continuing with the recipe. I served the pate with a Cranberry Ginger Sauce and Onion and Apricot Jam. These recipes are also on my blog, but if you need help finding them, please just let me know. Pomegranate seeds were the perfect contrast to the creaminess of the pate.

Here are a few more scenes from our holiday eating extravaganza...

OUR GATHERING WAS SMALL, 

BUT IT CERTAINLY WAS FESTIVE, 

FUN, AND FILLED WITH LOVE!

I HOPE YOURS WAS, AS WELL!

ON TO THE NEXT HOLIDAY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM 

MY KITCHEN TO YOURS!

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM

THANKSGIVING 2020!

 Here we are at another holiday during the time of Coronavirus. What a troubled and disturbing year it has been, but I remain hopeful that things on all fronts will improve and life will return to something that feels a bit more familiar, normal and safe. In the meantime, I am grateful for so much: My husband whose love and support is endless; the fact we live in a beautiful, rural area allowing me to walk and enjoy nature; and the love of friends and family who I continue to enjoy both near and far, and so much more! We just celebrated my husband Jerry's 76th birthday, which has come to be known as the "kick-off" to the holiday season. And now on to Thanksgiving. I'm going to start by sharing the soup we will have as a starter on Thanksgiving day.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH GREEN APPLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, cut in half and seeded

1 onion, peeled and cut into thick slices

2 Granny Smith apples, cut in half and cored

Olive oil for drizzling.

Liberal Salt/Pepper

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup apple cider

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare veg and apple. Drizzle with oil. Salt generously. Roast for about 30-40 minutes until veg is just starting to caramelize and squash is very tender.

Let the veg cool. Peel the skin off the butternut squash and put in a large soup pot. Smash up the squash with a large spoon. Scoop the apple out of the skin. It will be very soft. Add to the pot. Drop in the onion and add 4 cups chicken stock and 1/2 apple cider. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes. Cool slightly and blend either with an emulsion blender or add all to your blender and blend until very smooth. Taste for seasoning. Salt/pepper as needed. I also add a dash of white pepper to help counter the sweetness of the soup. Serve this soup, hot or cold, with a scoop of Greek-style yogurt and thinly sliced green apple. I really like it best cold! This soup tastes like Thanksgiving in a bowl!

RABBITT'S THANKSGIVING MENU

Smoked Chicken Liver Pate Garnished with Pomegranate seeds

    Served with Caramelized onion, Apricot/Shallot Jam and Smoky Bread toast points

Roasted Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup

Applewood and Sage Smoked Turkey with Apple Cider Glaze

Traditional Herb Stuffing

Sweet Potato Puree with Pecan crust

Creamed Boursin Spinach

Cranberry Ginger Relish

Freshly Baked Rolls

Butternut Squash Pie with Ginger Pecan crust topped with Ginger-infused Whipped Cream

I think that meal should feed the two of us!

I will brine the turkey for 24 hours, then marinate, and finally smoke the bird brushing with an Apple Cider glaze. 

We celebrated Jerry's birthday, which was Friday, November 13, for the entire weekend. Birthday night we had a rack of lamb, gruyere scalloped potatoes and roasted asparagus. For dessert I made one of his favorites, a blueberry cheesecake! Here is Jerry on our birthday morning walk...Looking good Mr. Rabbitt!

Saturday night we made pizza's on the grill. Thank you to my old friend Trudy G. Silverman who suggested I put the pizza right on the grill! It will take me a couple times to perfect the grilling technique as I had a little trouble controlling the heat, but they were delicious!

THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY!

WISHING YOU THE HAPPIEST 

THANKSGIVING POSSIBLE!

WITH LOVE...

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM

HEIRLOOM WINTER SQUASH!

My good friend, Karen Sykes, recently gifted me with some beautiful squash, two of which I had never heard of.


Kabocha is on the left, Delicata in the center
and of course a beautiful Butternut Squash,
which we're all familiar with.

The big, round green squash is KABOCHA, also known as Japanese Pumpkin. It is the sweetest winter squash variety and has a taste and texture somewhere between a pumpkin and a sweet potato. The flesh is a beautiful bright orange and the skin is edible! Filled with lots of fiber, beta carotene, iron and vitamins B and C, it is also good for you. Being in the winter squash family it was a little tricky cutting, but I brought out my big knife to do the job.

I decided to roast the Kabocha with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup-about 1 Tbsp., and liberal amount of salt. Wash the squash and cut into 2 to 3 inch chunks removing seeds. I used a grapefruit spoon, which works well to remove seeds and stringy pieces. Rinse the seeds and add salt. They can be roasted along with the squash, but won't take as much time. You want them crispy, but not burned. I roasted for about 15 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the Kabocha with the olive oil and other ingredients and roast for 30 minutes or until tender.

The pale yellow squash is called DELICATA. It is also known as Peanut Squash, Bohemian Squash and Sweet Potato Squash. Technically a summer squash, however Delicata is classified in the winter squash family because of its hard flesh and late harvest. As with all winter squash it is rich in Vitamins B and C, fiber, potassium and manganese. The creamy flavor and texture is also reminiscent of sweet potato with hints of corn and as with the Kabocha the skin is tender so no peeling necessary. Some varieties are striped in green or orange. This sweet little squash is only about 6 inches long. Since I have not had this squash I decided to keep it really simple so I could taste the true Delicata flavor. Wash the squash and cut off both ends. Cut the squash into rounds and pull out the seeds using a grapefruit spoon. Coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until tender.

Now that I have experienced both Kabocha and Delicata I look forward to trying some new recipes. The Delicata would be excellent stuffed with ground meat--possibly ground lamb with pine nuts and feta cheese; or sausage with lots of fresh herbs and parmesan. I think the Kabocha would be great roasted and then pureed to use as a spread. They both would make a rich and delicious soup flavored with curry. Thanks again, Karen, for introducing me to 2 delicious winter squashes! My husband wants me to make another Squash Pie with the Butternut Squash. http://cookwithcindy.blogspot.com/search?q=butternut+squash+pie Scroll down to find the recipe.

I served the squash with a ROULADE OF BEEF.

I didn't have any real parmesan,
but this grated cheese worked OK
with all the other luscious flavors!

Using Round Steak, salt/pepper on both sides of the steak, sprinkle with dried tarragon, stuff with cheesy bread crumbs, finely minced garlic, lots of fresh spinach. Roll the steak the long way and wrap with a slice of thick cut bacon. Cook on the grill until bacon is crisp.

The two squash were a perfect complement!

THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY.

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

CONTINUE STAYING SAFE.

 

COVID19 IS SURGING HERE IN ARIZONA

SO MY HUSBAND AND I ARE

CONTINUING TO STAY AT HOME.

 

THAT MEANS LOTS MORE

COOKING AND BAKING!

 

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM

 

LIGHT SUMMER SUPPER!

I have blogged this recipe in the past, but here it is again with a twist. Spring Rolls make a fabulous, light simple supper on a warm summer night.

http://cookwithcindy.blogspot.com/search?q=spring+rolls

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

I didn't have all the correct ingredients, but decided to wing it as I was having a serious Spring Roll hankering. I had no rice vermicelli, no basil-Thai or otherwise, no cilantro, but did have enough ingredients on hand to make a tasty roll.

 

Drop rice wrapper into a bowl of cold water for a few seconds.
Lie flat on a damp dish cloth.
Add filling along edge of the rice wrapper.
Fold in the 2 edges at long side.
Gently roll tucking in ingredients as you go.
If you tear the rice wrapper, simply double wrap with another moistened wrapper.
Place wrapped rolls on a damp dish towel as the rice wrapper dries out very quickly.

In place of the rice vermicelli I used some Jasmine rice that I had cooked the previous night in Asian spices. I added chives both inside the roll and as a garnish and also garnished with sesame seeds. I included avocado slices inside, which added richness. Bottom line: Wrap whatever ingredients you have on hand that have an Asian flair. For the sauce I mixed: Fish sauce, teriyaki, soy sauce, Hoisin, minced garlic, and a little red pepper flake. I served with Edamame beans lightly steamed and then chilled with soy sauce.

Next, on to a surprisingly easy dessert.
Our neighbors, Lori and Brian Itule, have been so generous over the last few weeks of 'Staying at Home' by bringing us lovely fresh produce. Last week they included a huge butternut squash in the mix of fruit and veg. I like to roast butternut squash in the skin as it is so difficult to peel. My husband, Jerry, has a sweet tooth so I was roasting in cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, a little nutmeg, maple syrup and salt, all topped with thick slices of butter. It smelled just like a pumpkin pie so Jerry suggested I turn this into pie rather than a savory (which it really wasn't anyway!) side. I found this recipe online, but changed a couple ingredients. Instead of 3/4 cup white sugar I used a combo of brown sugar and maple syrup. I also increased the quantities of the sweet spices.

BLENDER BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIE

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash or 2 small butternut squash
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for baking squash
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for baking squash
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, plus more for baking squash
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, plus more...well, you get it!
Salt and butter for baking the squash.

9 inch deep dish pie crust (I cheated again and used a frozen crust.)

All ingredients are in the blender!



As you can see I had a little extra filling.
The Butternut squash 'puddings' will only take
about 30 minutes to bake.

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut in even chunks so it all roasts at the same time. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Very lightly drizzle some maple syrup over the squash. Top with slices of butter on each piece. Roast in the oven until squash is very tender; about 1 hour. Turn once during the baking. Cool completely and then remove the skin.

Place the cooled squash (a generous 2 cups) in your blender or food processor and add all other ingredients. Blend/process until very smooth.

Pour in prepared pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until center is nearly set. It will still be a little wobbly. I covered my crust with foil so it would not get too brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

HERE IN ARIZONA, OUR STATE IS BEGINNING

TO 'OPEN UP'.  JERRY AND I REMAIN CAUTIOUS,

BUT ARE STARTING TO VENTURE OUT...SAFELY!

 

GOOD HEALTH TO YOU AND YOURS!

Keeping JoJo safe!

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM

HAPPY EPIPHANY!

Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, occurs every year on January 6. Epiphany means "manifestation" as it commemorates the first time Jesus' divinity manifested itself through the visit of the Three Kings. I thought in honor of the first day of Epiphany, which is the beginning of Epiphanytide, a period lasting until Lent, I would talk about our Christmas dinner. My dear mother-in-law, Helen, always considered Epiphany the last day of Christmas and that is when she would take down her tree. Christmastide ends and Epiphanytide begins!

For now...back to Christmas dinner!

Mediterranean Stuffed Leg of Lamb,
Butternut Squash with pecans,
Creamed Spinach and Hasselback Potatoes.

But first, our favorite appetizer...

We celebrated this year with our friend Leslie Jackson and her two pups, Gracie and Ruby.


Gracie on the left and Ruby on the right.

We started with an array of appetizers, but my favorite was a recipe from my friend, golf buddy, and neighbor Bonnie Ungerecht. Unfortunately it is not shown on the tray as the shrimp was just coming out of the oven. A perfect hors d'oeuvres for a party as you can make the sauce several days in advance, clean the shrimp in the morning so within 10 minutes your fancy hors d'oeuvres is served!

SHRIMP LOUIS

Ingredients:
2 lbs. peeled large or extra-large shrimp, peeled, deveined*
Good quality olive oil
Kosher salt/freshly ground pepper

For the sauce:
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise**
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. bottled horseradish, drained
2 tsp. Sriracha (I used 1/2 tsp. as my husband does not like hot spice.)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup minced scallions; about 2 scallions
2 Tbsp. capers, drained

*Of course, use less shrimp if your party does not require 2 full lbs. and you will have Louis Sauce leftover, which is not a bad thing!

**Hellman's is my favorite, but west of the Rocky Mountains it is packaged and sold as Best Buy--exact same thing.

Preparation:
Make the sauce:
In a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, horseradish, Sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Stir in the scallions and capers. Cover and place in the fridge (up to a week) to meld flavors.
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dry the shrimp well with paper towels. Place them on a foil-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast for 10 minutes until firm and just cooked through.
To serve:
Put the amount of Louis Sauce appropriate for the number of shrimp you are serving in a serving bowl on top of a tray. Spread the hot shrimp and oil on the tray around the bowl of Louis and serve with crackers, crostini, or any small breads. It is also delicious on its own.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED LEG OF LAMB

This recipe is from several I found online and then adapted. I often do a stuffed leg of lamb at Easter, but this is the first time we've had it for Christmas.

Ingredients:
1 (5 lb.) boneless leg of lamb*
Salt/Pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs for roasting
10 oz. bag fresh spinach
6 oz. (or more) soft goat cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
2 tsp. pine nuts
4 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. fennel seeds, slightly crushed in mortar/pestle
2 Tbsp. sesame oil plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 bottle good red wine for deglazing

Preparation:
Remove plastic netting or twine form around the leg of lamb, if any, and open up the roast on a cutting board. Remove the bone if necessary. Place the boned side of the roast up. With a very sharp paring knife, cut away any excess fat, sinew or silver skin. This takes time, but is well worth it as your lamb will be much more tender as a result. Using a sharp knife cut 1/2 inch deep slits where necessary to help the roast lie flat. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and pound with a mallet (I use my Mom's very heavy marble rolling pin!) until lamb is uniformally about 3/4 inch thick. This can also be done ahead of time. Wrap the lamb in plastic and put in the fridge until ready to continue, or even do the night before.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Liberally salt/pepper the lamb on all sides. Spread the garlic and rosemary evenly over the lamb. Spread the spinach leaves to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Break up the soft goat cheese and drop evenly over the spinach. Then add the crumbled goat cheese. Finally top with the pine nuts.
Roll the roast into a tight cylinder starting from the wide end. The stuffing will keep popping out, but just push it back in and keep rolling. Tie with kitchen twine at 2 inch intervals. Carefully rub 4 Tbsp. olive oil over the tied roast.
In a flat dish mix together the flour, 1 Tbsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. pepper, thyme, and fennel seeds and press the tied roast firmly into the flour mixture to coat all sides.
Heat 2 Tbsp. sesame and 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy oven-proof pan over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Sear all sides of the roast, including the ends, to a golden brown. Add 1/2 bottle of red wine over top of roast. Top with 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Place in oven and roast to your desired doneness. Baste every 15 minutes with pan drippings. 145 degrees is rare; about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

*I could not get a boneless leg so got a semi-boned leg and boned it myself. This was a large lamb; my guess bordering on a year old.

I'm going to conclude with my favorite recipe for Key Lime Pie. I've had this recipe so long that I don't know where it came from, but it is a classic Key Lime Pie recipe.

CLASSIC KEY LIME PIE

For the Graham crack crust:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs, 12 full sheets of Graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Crush the crumbs in a food processor or place them in a strong plastic bag and smash them until they are fine crumbs. Combine Graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir until fully combined and all of the crumbs are moist. Scoop the mixture into a 9 1/2 - 10 inch pie plate. (I should've used a 10 inch plate as I had extra filling, but simply put it in a custard cup and baked alongside the pie.) Firmly press it down into an even layer on bottom and up around the sides of the dish. Use your fingers to do this. You do not want the bottom crust to be too thick or it will be difficult to cut through once cooked. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the filling.

To make the Key Lime filling:
Ingredients:
1 cup key lime juice (I use Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Key Lime Juice.)
2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
5 large egg yolks

Combine the key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined. Pour the filling into the Graham cracker crust and spread it around into one even layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until the top of the pie is set, the pie will still be jiggly.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 2 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. Once chilled, top with whipped cream and lime zest.

I guess this means Christmastide is over and we're on to a new year. I hate to see this season end, but greatly look forward to more adventures in the kitchen in 2019!

 

Until next time...

www.cookwithcindy.com

STRETCH YOUR DOLLAR...ROAST A CHICKEN!

I bought this 4 lb. Corn-fed Chicken for €5. (that's about  $5.60). I have never had a corn-fed chicken. Notice how yellow the skin is!

HERBY ROAST CHICKEN
This bird had very little fat so I decided to make a mixed herb, garlic and olive oil paste to rub under and on the skin, But first wash your bird thoroughly inside and out under cold running water. Use your index finger to scrape along either side of the spine to remove nasty dried blood, etc. Dry the bird inside and out. Next, fold the wing tips under the bird (so ends don't burn). Place bird on a rack or in my case, no rack, so I used 3 carrots to elevate the bird.

Liberally salt and pepper inside and out. For the herbs I used fresh parsley, chives, thyme and a little tarragon, 2 cloves peeled garlic, salt, and about 1 cup olive oil. Parsley was the predominant herb, but use any combo you have on hand. The amount of oil will depend on the amount of herbs you use. Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Consistency should be similar to a basil pesto you'd buy in the store. Make more paste than you need; nice to have this readily available in the fridge.

To rub the paste under the skin insert your finger between the skin and flesh at the top of the breast and gently lift and separate the skin from the carcass. Spoon in about 1/2 cup paste to each side. Spread the paste by rubbing the skin gently to get evenly spread under the skin.

Spread a little on the outside of the bird, as well. Insert a bouquet garni (in French literally means garnished bouquet); a small bundle of herbs usually tied with kitchen twine. I tied mine with chives. Truss the legs with kitchen string.

Peel and roughly chop a large onion and 2 cloves garlic. Place in the pan around the chicken. Add salt, pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil.
Because this chicken had so little fat I placed 6 Tbsp. of lovely Irish salted butter on the top of the bird. (Any butter is fine.)

Preheat oven to 400. Roast chicken for 10 minutes, then rotate the roasting pan. If your oven cooks evenly, no need to do this. Turn down heat to 325 and roast for another hour or until legs move easily. Or, to be more precise, until a meat thermometer reads 165 F.

This chicken was moist, delicious and very herby. We didn't notice any difference in flavor or texture due to its corn-fed upbringing, but it sure was good!

One reason I love chicken....

THEY KEEP ON GIVING!

The next night I cut all the chicken off the bone to make an old fashioned, comfort dish...

CHICKEN POT PIE

At home I would make this dish with a thawed puff pastry that you buy in the frozen section of your grocery store. You can also top with flaky biscuit dough. I could not find puff pastry in Spiddal, Ireland so made a rich, very simple pastry crust. I didn't have enough butter in the house; it was pouring with a raging gale and I didn't want to walk to the village, but I did have some beautiful chicken fat (thanks to our bird who keeps on giving!), which made the crust super rich. I used a combo of butter and chicken fat.
Ingredients for Pastry Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
3 Tbsp. Chicken fat
2 Tbsp. Butter
2-3 Tbsp. Ice water

Preparation:
Mix flour and salt. Cut in fat/butter (use either a pastry cutter; two knives; or I prefer to use my fingers) until the consistency resembles coarse meal. Add as little ice water as possible; just enough so dough holds together. At this point wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least a half hour. I was already late getting dinner so I rolled right away without a problem. This recipe made enough for 3 large (or 4 small) individual pies. It would work well for one large pie.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 tsp. Fresh Tarragon, chopped
Salt/Pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup Bechamel or other white sauce  (I made Bechamel the day before for an eggplant souffle so already had it in the fridge.)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in olive oil over medium heat until just tender. Add the frozen peas, herbs and white sauce.

To make white sauce melt 4 Tbsp. butter in pan, add 4 Tbsp. flour and cook stirring until smooth (this is called a roux); about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in 2 cups milk or chicken stock and cook, stirring constantly for another 15 minutes. Season with salt/pepper.

BACK TO THE POT PIE FILLING...
Bring the veg mixture to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Divide filling between 3-4 bowls; top with pastry. Crimp edges and cut away excess (I made a couple fruit empanadas with left-over pastry.). Cut slots in the pastry to allow steam to escape while they bake.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

AND THE HUMBLE CHICKEN STILL GIVES MORE...

CHICKEN STOCK

Place all the chicken bones, gel and pan drippings from the roast chicken into a large pot. Add enough water to cover the bones. Add 2 chopped carrots,  1 stalk roughly chopped celery, 1 small onion, 1 clove garlic,  Bay leaf, salt/pepper. Bring to a vigorous boil; reduce heat so stock is gently bubbling. Cook for at least 3 hours. Let cool and strain. A 4 pound chicken will give you about 1 qt. of stock. This lasts well for a week in the refrigerator or freeze for future use. I made a Cream of Butternut Squash Soup, garnished with pan roasted pears and fresh sheep's milk yogurt, hint of cinnamon and curry.

THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY FROM SPIDDAL, COUNTY GALWAY, IRELAND!

THANKS FOR TUNING IN!

NEXT TIME IT'S BACK TO ITALY WITH A RECIPE FOR STROMATO di VIDURE--VEGETABLE SOUFFLE!

www.cookwithcindy.com 

This is the view from San Giovanni d'Asso, Toscano.