The Food Chronicles - Roasted Chicken with Croutons and Wilted Greens

Shooey, it’s been too long since I have done a food post (or any post for that matter!) and this one is too good not to share.  An easy weeknight meal.  In fact, I made it twice last week.  Don’t let the ‘roasting a whole chicken’ thing scare you off.  Seriously, roasting a chicken is the ONLY way to go and the EASIEST way to prepare chicken.  People seem to be intimidated by it but seriously, it is the easiest way to make chicken and the most flavorful.  Skin and bones, a must, people.  Slather that yard bird up and walk AWAY.  For about an hour.  What could be easier than that?  When you have a 4 yr old who is constantly pulling on your apron strings, hands off cook time is prime time.  I rarely bother with tasteless fleshy chicken boobs anymore.  But the various ways in which I roast chicken is another post unto itself.

Even though this recipe originally comes from Everyday Food, the inspiration comes from the late great Sheila Lukins.  She had a recipe for Zuni Roast Chicken with Savory Bread Salad in Ten (one of my favorites) that I have been dying to try for a few years.  The amount of steps seemed daunting.  I stumbled across this version a few weeks ago in one of my old issues of Everyday Food and was immediately reminded of the Zuni recipe but with far fewer steps.  Of course, I have monkeyed with it slightly because I monkey with everything.  And because, if I am being completely honest, I find most of the recipes from Everyday Food to be everyday bland.

bread toasted in drippings and fat = heavenly croutons

after croutons are done, pour any accumulated juices from platter into bottom of a VERY large bowl

Add croutons, greens, and olive oil & vinegar, some more salt & pepper to taste; toss

Plate greens with croutons and top with a piece of roasted chicken

 

A few notes.  Sorry for the yellowish pictures - my cooking happens in real time so evening shots without natural light are crap.  If you can prep your chicken earlier in the day, do it.  Not only is this handy if you are entertaining, but ‘dressing’ the chicken with salt & pepper ahead of time improves the flavor and helps yield a moist yard bird.  Which also means, don’t skimp on the salt and pepper.  Season that sucker with more than you think.  Also, I whisk the remaining olive oil, champagne vinegar, and salt & pepper into a vinaigrette before tossing because I think it dresses the greens more uniformly but I have done it both ways and probably makes little difference.

All photos and layouts by mrs. V

kisses,  mrs. V