Sunday, September 20, 2009

Julia Child's famous cook book Roast Chicken

I like many others was inspired by the movie to buy Julia Child's famous cook book
and realized I helped make her book a best seller:) The article below is from the NY Times

Almost 48 years after it was first published, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by
Julia Child is finally topping the best-seller list, bringing with it all the butter, salt and goose fat that home chefs had largely abandoned in the age of Lipitor.

“Amazing not just because the book is almost half a century old, costs $40 and contains 752 pages of labor-intensive and time-consuming recipes — the art of French cooking is indeed hard to master — but also for what those recipes contain.

In a decade when cookbooks promise 20-minute dinners that are light on calories, Ms. Child’s recipes feature instructions like “thin out with more spoonfuls of cream” (Veau Prince Orloff, or veal with onions and mushrooms, pages 355-7) or “sauté the bacon in the butter for several minutes” (Navets à la Champenoise, or turnip casserole, pages 488-9).



SO tonight I tried the Roast Chicken recipe (That I could find no where online to print for you)it was not difficult basically :
  • you wash and dry the chicken
  • butter and S&P inside and out
  • lay on side in a shallow roaster,
  • surrounded by cut up carrot and onion
  • bake @ 450 for 5 minutes, basting often
  • other side for 5 minutes, basting often
  • and breast side up for 5 minutes, basting often
  • then reduce heat to 350
  • and place on side and cook 1/2 hour basting often,
  • . turn it for 1/2 hour on the other side, again, basting often
  • and for the last 15 minutes breast side up, basting often
(not my picture)

and as Julia says roasting a chicken is not difficult but getting crispy skin and juicy meat comes from a total dedication to basting -I was totally dedicated - I did and it was:) -- that chicken was crispy and juicy, albeit not as Pretty as Julia's(my skin tore) I was still proud! And we enjoyed it.
This one is my Chicken.

My main problem is I wish....

I never had to go back to that never ending bag of slightly dehydrated, frozen, boneless, skinless, breast tenders from costco- they do cook quickly though I must admit.

2 comments:

The Texas Bakers said...

THAT is lovely! I must say, I have considered looking for that book myself!

nikko said...

I have a copy of the book that I bought at a swap meet when I was about 15. I've used it a few times over the years -- mostly for desserts, I must admit.

Your chicken looks beautiful!