OK, so one day into 2012 and I'm doing well so far with my resolution to make/bake at least one new thing a week. Today I attempted "Roast Chicken & Sticky Carrots" from probably my most used website: BBC Good Food. The recipe I used today is here. Follow the link for pictures and information etc.
Up until I moved into the new kitchen (not literally but you know what I mean) I had never attempted to make a proper Sunday Roast. I was a complete Aunt Bessie and preprepared food addict. I used frozen roast potatoes, preprepared and frozen veggies, ready made Yorkshire puddings and trimmings like stuffing etc. I used to buy little roasting joints in a tin in the chiller section of the supermarket rather than buy and prep the meat myself. I'm not sure if it was because I was too lazy or too scared to cook from scratch. I know we all think it, but my mum does the most amazing roast dinner, I didn't think I could really match it, so perhaps it's why I didn't bother?
One of the first things I made in my lovely new oven was proper roast potatoes. I was so nervous; "what if they aren't crispy enough", "what if they are too fluffy" and so on. I quickly learnt that the type of potato used does make a real difference (favourites are Maris Piper or Red Potatoes) and to rough them up a bit before they go into the oven. I don't know why I was so worried as I appear to have inherited the crispy potato gene thankfully. This fact was proved by the fact I did Christmas Dinner 2011 for the family and my mother proudly proclaimed "It was as if I cooked it myself but without the stress or washing up!" Now if that's not a compliment then I don't know what is!
As it was new years day and it happens to fall on a Sunday this time round, I felt the need to start the year of with a lovely Roast dinner. After cooking a three course meal yesterday for M and I to celebrate the end of 2011 (I'm aiming to blog this achievement at some point with pics!), I was feeling a bit lazy so I admit that I did cheat a bit with my Yorkshire puddings - Bless you Aunt Bessie! Yorkshire Puddings I've made Toad in the hole but not proper Yorkshires) are on my try to make myself at some point this year list which I'm also looking to blog soon. I also used frozen broccoli and parsnips and some of those lovely new tubes of gravy but I did the rest myself I promise!
I also treated us to a free range chicken for the first new make/bake of 2012. I buy free range or freedom endorsed meat as often as the budget allows, as a former veggie it's how I appease my guilt of becoming a complete carnivore over the last few years.Vegetable accompaniments to today's new bake/make were were roast potatoes, steamed broccoli and roasted maple parsnips. The roasties were treated to a coating in flour (I must buy some semolina to try them al la Nigella) and a crumbled chicken Oxo Cube which I found gave them a very yummy taste and is definitely something to do on a regular basis. I also roasted the potatoes in Rapeseed oil in an attempt to wean myself of a rather expensive olive oil addiction...
So onto the new recipe. M wasn't keen on the carrots (I used baby ones and also added two halved onions). He felt the carrots were too sweet for his liking. I wasn't overly keen on the cumin used (I only had ground instead of the seeds the recipe suggested) but I'm not a huge fan of it anyway so wasn't too surprised. I had too much juice in my pan so the carrots didn't really go very sticky which was a shame and I think could be why we weren't overly impressed. I think if I did it again then I'd drain off the juices and roast the carrots for a while longer whilst the meat rests. The chicken itself was lovely, very moist and juicy, with a small hint of garlic and lemon and thyme which I used instead of parsley. I think it's one to try again with a few minor tweaks.
As it was just for the two of us I have loads of chicken left, so I'm now trying to think of something new to do with the leftovers!
No comments:
Post a Comment