cozy roast chicken

Hi friends! Some images and recipes from a cozy dinner at home yesterday. The overcast mistiness of the day was perfect for warming the house with Jamison's roast chicken specialty (more on that in a minute), butternut squash gratin and brussels sprouts with pecans...

An appetizer of hummus decorated with scallion, olives, mixed olive and bright peppadew peppers:

Assembling the squash-Gruyère gratin, recipe here (I added leeks for additional color and savor)...

Sliced brussels sprouts, ready for my fav recipe:

Saute a sliced red onion in olive oil/butter until sweetly caramelized, add a sliced leek and a generous handful of pecan halves. Add sliced brussels sprouts, season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a lavish pour of walnut oil. Cook until tender, lightly golden but still bright. Yum (I promise, sprouts skeptics)!

Now for the main attraction: Jamison's roast chicken. Preheat oven to 425 degrees for a total roasting time of one hour and 15 minutes for a five lb bird (as Jamison points out, ovens vary, so check to see if juices run clear after one hour).

Chop a variety of vegetables as a bed for the chicken: this time, Jamison used carrots, parsnip, celery, red onion. Add to a buttered roasting pan (we always use our trusty Ruffoni copper pan). Lightly season vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Meanwhile, parboil some small red potatoes in salted water.

Coat your (preferably free range) chicken with softened butter, salt lightly, season with ground pepper and dried thyme. Place bird over veggie bed in roasting pan, then drizzle some red wine over.

Adding a sliced orange to the chicken cavity imparts a nice flavor. Arrange parboiled potatoes and whole garlic heads (tops sliced off to expose cloves) around chicken. Place pan in preheated oven.

After 45 minutes, take the chicken out to glaze with dark fruit preserves:

In a small jar, mix a tablespoon of wild plum preserves, a tablespoon of black raspberry preserves, a tablespoon of BBQ sauce, a tablespoon country Dijon mustard, a liberal splash of red wine, 1/4 cup olive oil, cracked pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic or red wine vinegar. Blend well and spoon over the chicken. Return to oven to finish roasting...

The beautiful finished chicken...

Have a great start to the week, happy cooking!