Best Meal I've had In A Long Time

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Maybe I was just extra-hungry this afternoon- I don’t know. But the supper I shared w/ a friend tonight will go down in my memory as one of the best-ever, in my whole life!

What did we have? A whole, lemon/fennel-seed roasted chicken w/ carrots & onions, and a nectarine clafouti. HEAVEN!

Here’s the low-down on how it was thrown together: For the chicken we washed a whole 4 lb. hen and patted it dry w/ paper-towels. I then ground 1/3 c. of fennel seeds in a coffee-bean grinder and mixed w/ salt and pepper and seasoned the chicken very heavily inside and out (reserving a couple tablespoons of this seasoning mixture). Then I quartered 3 medium yellow onions, and scraped 5 jumbo carrots and cut them into thumb-sized chunks, tossed w/ olive oil then tossed in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the fennel seasoning mix. This veggie mixture went inside the cavity of the seasoned hen, along w/ a whole lemon that we pierced dozens of times w/ a fork so that the juice would leak out as the bird roasted. This was placed in a 400 degree oven for an hour and let me tell ya- the fragrant aroma of fennel, lemon and rich poultry that permeated the house while this cooked, wa absolutely dreamy!

After it came out of the oven, we allowed it to rest a bit on the counter as we sorted several handfulls of leaves of baby spinach into an extra large bowl. We then picked the tender meat from the hen and put into the bowl of spinach along w/ the roasted, caramelized carrots and onions and all the pan-juices from the bird. This was tossed all together w/ a spritz of vinegar & oil, plated-up and turned out DELICIOUS!

Dessert was a Rustic French Nectarine Clafouti. We pitted and sliced fresh fruit into a cast iron skillet and sauteed w/ butter and brown sugar until all caramelized and golden. We then added a swig of cognac, then poured on a thin batter made from flour, milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla and baked until puffy and golden. After cooling on a wire rack for 10 minutes, the clafouti sunk a bit, and we dusted w/ powdered sugar and served at the table directly from the skillet, topped w/ honey-sweetened sour cream.

Like I said before, maybe I was just extra-hungry… or maybe it was the joy from the company of my friend- regardless, this meal was the best and most flavorful I’ve had in ages!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Wow that does sound wonderful Kevin!

[CanMan]

Sounds good and you didn't season or brush the outside of the bird at all?

[Mama Mangia]

Gee Kev - and you didn't invite us?????? Drat! You wait till the next time you go away - IC and I are going to raid your whole kitchen! LOL

[cookie]

Mm, sounds really Good! 'Lets Get him." lol Cookie

[Mama Mangia]

BTW - CanMan - luv the avatar!!!

Cookie - let's get IC and go for it!

[cookie]

OK Mama, sounds like a plan!!!!! Cookie

[Mama Mangia]

where is IC? is he heading to Alaska without us???

[cookie]

Mama, Were has I.C. Been?? He must have left without us. LOL Cookie

[chubbyalaskagriz]

CanMan- yep, I rubbed the fennel-seed/s&p all over the inside and outside of the bird...

The rest of you rascals c'mon over a my place tonight. We'll rustle up another couple of these fennel yardbirds! Bring a dish to pass!