Roasted Chicken and Pickled Garlic

Last night I roasted a chicken for dinner (one of ours, of course.) Within the last year, I've discovered that I enjoy roasting chickens. As a former vegetarian, cooking meat was intimidating until I threw myself into it and realized there was nothing to be scared of. My fear transformed into empowerment. My husband may or may not agree, but I think I've become a pretty good cooker of meat. And for that, I must thank Shannon Hayes and her excellent and inspiring cookbooks, The Grassfed Gourmet and  Long Way on a Little. I highly recommend these books full of wisdom and delicious recipes.

I did make up my own recipe for my chicken last night, but the technique was inspired by Hayes. She has taught me the importance of rubs: olive oil (or butter, as I like to use), salt and seasonings. These delicious mixtures enhance the flavor and retain juiciness. And preparing them is really quite simple.

Jenny's Balsamic Coriander Roast Chicken
for the rub, blend the following in a food processor:
[Note: I didn't actually measure any of this stuff, so please adjust to your own taste]
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp coriander, freshly ground if possible (and our coriander was even homegrown! Seeds of cilantro)
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp coarse ground salt

Rub the mixture under the skin on the breasts and back, and all over the outside as well. [If you have extra rub, use it to sautee some veggies or save it for the next chicken] Roast the chicken at 350 until the juices run clear and the legs are loose, roughly 1 1/2 hrs. I like to throw some whole brussels sprouts in the bottom of the roasting pan. They come out crispy and delicious!

While my chicken was roasting, I was able to finish a little project that had gotten pushed to the back of the refrigerator. I had a large jar full of peeled garlic [once again, our own] waiting to be pickled. Jai and Yasmina helped me mix a brine of a scant tablespoon salt [mineral, unrefined] per cup of water and pour it over the garlic. I then filled a smaller jar with water and placed it in the larger jar to hold the garlic under the brine. Cheese cloth or a hand towel tied over the top keeps out flies. Let the garlic sit for a couple of weeks and until it's good and fermented [keep trying it, and when it's pickled to your taste, it's done.] This big jar of pickled garlic was Jai's request. Although not a big fan of raw garlic, he can't get enough of it pickled! If you would like to read more about pickling, check out this post and this website.




May your work in the kitchen be blessed!
*Gratitude*