I had a bunch of new potatoes left over from the 4th, and I thought it might be fun to bake them and serve as mini baked potatoes along side a steak.  After they came out of the oven, my friend had an idea to improve on my plan.  We ended up making this, its essentially a deconstructed baked potato type thing, and man is it good.  Its got bacon, sour cream, and everything else that makes a baked potato great, but its in a group friendly configuration.  Put this in the middle of your table and watch it disappear.

ingredients:

10 new potatoes
1 cup diced heirloom tomato
2 strips thick cut bacon
5 large basil leaves, chiffonade
sour cream, to taste
1 t rosemary
salt
pepper

method:

This one is pretty easy.  Start by stabing each potato once with a fork.  This puncture will allow water to escape during baking which will cause the skins to crisp up nicely.  Place the potatoes in a 400 degree oven and set the timer for 45 minutes.  When the timer dings, grab the spuds from the oven and cut them into quarters.  Toss the wedges into a hot skillet with the bacon and cook until the bacon is done.  While that’s going, start dicing the tomato.  When thats done, prepare the basil.  When the bacon is ready, spread the skillet contents on a plate and mash them ever so slightly with a fork.  Cover with the tomato and add salt and pepper to taste.  Add dollops of sour cream across the top and then sprinkle on the basil and the herb mixture.  And that’s it, you’re ready to serve.  I highly recommend tossing a few forks on the plate and making it a group affair.

Enjoy :)
-E

Tags: potatoes, salad, Vegetarian

The morning newscaster said, “If you’ve got anything to do, do it today because it’s going to get cold.” Like, zero degrees cold. Too cold to go out and do just about anything. So I shuffled out to the grocery store, and picked up all that I needed (which wasn’t much) to throw together the Chicken in a Pot I saw in the last Cook’s Illustrated I got.

Last time I tried roasting a chicken, either I timed it poorly, my oven was calibrated wrong, or I just plain screwed up – no matter what, there was raw bird in there. Not good. So I’ve got my new instant read thermometer ready, and I’ve boned up on my roasting techniques – I should be ready to go.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds)
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 celery stalks, chopped thick
6 cloves garlic
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Preheate your oven to 250. Heat the veggie oil in a dutch oven til’ it’s just about smoking. Dry off your chicken with paper towels, then season with S&P. Brown each side of the chicken, about 6-8 minutes per side. When you flip the bird to brown the second side, add your garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, chopped onion and celery.

When the bird is browned, put a piece of foil over the top of the dutch oven to create an airtight seal, place the lid on the foil and crimp the edges around the side. This dry-roasting style needs no basting – just leave it in your oven for about 80-110 minutes or so (check your temps!).

When the bird is done (about 160 degrees at the breast, 175 at the thigh), remove to cutting board and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Take the juices from the bottom of the pot, strain them and let sit for 5 minutes.

Strain the fat from the juice and return to a small saucepan and simmer til’ you’re ready to serve. Add a little lemon juice and serve with the bird. Some roasted potatoes on the side, maybe some peas or green beans and you’ve got a meal. Best part – the whole thing costs under $10 depending where you get your bird. Leftovers go great in chicken salad or on greens – chicken Caesar, anyone? Maybe that should be next.

Tags: Chicken, dry roast, dutch oven, potatoes, roast