If at the end of this month we name an MVP, or MVA (Most Valuable Appliance), our le creuset will win hands down. So far we've asked it to roast a duck breast, bake a couple pounds of mac and cheese, and stew some chicken thighs. It never complains about its workload, practically washes itself when the cooking's over, and on nights when it doesn't see active duty, it's always there on our counter, just looking awesome.
On Friday night, we called upon our cast iron hero again, this time to help roast a whole chicken. Every time I roast a chicken it seems like I try a different strategy: I've brined; I've cooked the bird upside down; I've used butter, butter and olive oil, or nothing but stock to baste it; I've surgically implanted sage leaves under the skin; I've trussed and I haven't trussed. This time I followed Tom Colicchio's method of browning the sides of the bird in peanut oil before sending it into a 375 oven for about fifty minutes. About twenty minutes into that time, I threw a tablespoon of butter into the pan and used that to baste the bird. I've given up on using thermometers--the things just make me anxious, so I've begun using the knife in the thigh test for my birds. Fifty minutes in the juices were clear. With the bird resting on our counter, I added some sliced carrots and parsnips into the still hot pan and cooked them in the drippings over medium heat. The final product was a delicious bird, served over arugula, and accompanied by parsnips, carrots, and baked potatoes. After years and years of searching, I think I've finally settled on the way I'll cook my birds.
Speaking of which, le creuset was most pleased with the way the Steelers roasted the Ravens Sunday night. Here we go:
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