These are two simple recipes that I’ve found myself repeating over and over and will continue for the rest of my life.
Chicken & Broth
My whole chicken recipe is largely from America’s Test Kitchen mammoth cookbook. I’ve done a number of their whole chicken recipes. While I enjoy many of them, on the flipside, too many are too involved and can’t be done on any given night. I like this recipe the best because it is so simple. I’ve just provided a basic method for preparation, but your bird could be seasoned anyway you prefer. In my case, the best part is that I now have chicken for the rest of the week, and it feels a lot healthier than that rotisserie stuff you get at the grocery store.
The second part to this recipe is the broth, which I begin making directly after dinner. Being aware that making broth is one of the easiest things in the world to do, I’d realized I’d never actually done it. Once I did, I was a convert. If I am a case study, it is never too late to start. There’s a lot of leeway too in how you make the broth, so experiment with ingredients. The ingredients I’ve listed are for an all-purpose one.
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- Rub olive oil on the entire chicken; then season with salt (coarse Kosher salt if you have it) and ground pepper. Tie the chicken legs together with cooking string, put the wings behind the back, and place in a cast iron pan1.
- Once the oven is heated, cook the chicken for 25-35 minutes, and until the thickest part of the breast registers 120 and the thighs 135.
- Turn the oven off, let the chicken sit in the oven for another 25-35 minutes, and until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 and the thighs 175.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, and let it rest on a cutting board for another 20 minutes.
- Carve the chicken.
- Put the carcass in a crockpot.
- Add one halved and peeled onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 5 or so sprigs of flat leaf parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and enough water to cover the chicken (about 10 cups).
- Cook on low over night.
- Put a cheese cloth over a large mixing bowl and secure it with a rubber band; strain the broth.
- Pour yourself a tasty cup and freeze the rest.
Iced Tea
I’m not even going to say this is a recipe, it’s a no brainer. Again, it’s never too late to start! I love cold unsweetened tea, and it so wonderful to have a couple sips in the morning before breakfast, or a glass in the afternoon.
- Get a sixteen ounce container.
- Put in two teabags. (I like PG Tips.)
- Fill the container with water, and let it steep for 24 hours.
- Add lemon and/or sweetener if you prefer; I just like mine unsweetened with no frills.
- Never buy store bought iced tea again.
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Use only a cast iron pan because it will retain heat and continue to cook the chicken once the oven is off. ↩
