Roast Beast Feast

Last night my husband and I had a guest chef in the kitchen, the culinary master, Mr. Willus Withrow. We tried our hand at roasting again (I guess this is the season for roasting) - this time with a chuck roast, for less than $10. We used a rub of garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and Willus concocted a sauce with sherry, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, red onions, and clementine juice. Needless to say, it was delicious! Very tangy and spicy. Our sides were roasted butternut squash and white rice.

We had a bottle of 2007 cabernet sauvignon from Firefly Ridge. Nice light berry flavor, and there's no beating the price at $5.99/bottle.

We also did a little beer taste testing. Willus is looking for the right beers to supply for his upcoming nuptials in Davis, CA this May. We tasted three California beers, all at a decent price - Blue Star Wheat Beer from North Coast Brewing Co., Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout from Anderson Valley Brewing Co., and ACME Pale Ale. My fav was the Blue Star, mostly because it tasted like sparkling cider, Avi preferred the oatmeal stout, and I think we all loved the ACME pale ale.

Romantic Dinner for Two (People Struggling to Make Rent)

Last night I made roast chicken from Peggy Knickerbocker's Simple Soirees. I used a foster farms chicken, although I really would have preferred to buy free range. Safeway didn't have any. I added to the recipe by throwing in some carrots and onions on the bottom of my roasting pan, which were delicious. And then I baked potatoes and whipped up a green salad to accompany it. A hearty meal to celebrate my husband winning his first trial! yay!! All in all I probably spent no more than $15 total. Add candle light, a bottle of red wine, Nat King Cole christmas music, and you're set!



Here is the excerpt from Peggy's book for the Alice B. Toklas chicken:

One wintry day I picked up The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, hoping to soothe the monotony of the long gray season with something inspired and Parisian to cook. I was delighted to find a recipe that my mother had served at dinner parties. Later it became one of my most requested dishes when I was a young caterer in San Francisco.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
1 medium-sized (about 3½ pounds) roasting chicken, preferably free-range
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup ruby port
½ cup orange juice
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Zest of 1 orange, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
When you bring the chicken home from the market, unwrap it and sprinkle it generously with salt. Cover and refrigerate it until ready to cook. Bring the bird to room temperature before cooking. Do not rub off the salt.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large ovenproof skillet warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Brown the chicken breast side down, for 3 to 5 minutes then turn it over and brown the other side for 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the skillet in the oven and roast the chicken for 45 minutes. Pour the port over the chicken and baste it. Roast for 10 minutes more, than add the orange juice and baste again. Roast for about 5 minutes more. The chicken is done when the juices of the thigh run clear when pierced with the blade of a sharp knife, or when the thigh wiggles easily. Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, and let it rest as you make the sauce.

Skim as much fat off the top of the juices in the skillet as you can and discard. Place the skillet over medium heat and add the cream, stirring up the crispy bits on the bottom. Add about half the orange zest and allow the sauce to reduce as you stir constantly for a few minutes.

Carve the chicken and transfer it to a serving platter. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and transfer the rest into a gravy boat or small pitcher and serve it at the table. Sprinkle the remaining orange zest over the chicken.