A Half Roasted Chicken

It’s been raining the past two days which brings out my cravings for savory, warm-flavored foods, even in the middle of August. The Barefoot Contessa roasted a chicken the other day which inspired me to give it a try. I followed a recipe in The Cooks Bible, which basically called for the chicken to be basted in melted butter and roasted at a low temperature for two hours. I stuffed heads of garlic and a cut-up lemon in the cavity and sprinkled the chicken with Murray River mineralized salt flakes, big fat pink flakes of salt that have a really clean, buttery flavor. I also threw some sliced butternut squash, carrots and garlic doused in olive oil in the roasting pan. The temperature was too low for them to caramelize but they were okay. The chicken ended up juicy but under done in the dark meat portions. I don’t have a meat thermometer so I had to go by the color of the juices. They ran clear, but not clear enough I guess.

While I was cooking Sarah brought over some freshly made cilantro pesto. Oh so yummy on a sliced baguette!

I did get to freeze my ice cream from yesterday. The flavor was great, but I was suprised at how much faster it began melting than commercial ice cream. It made me wonder what they put in that stuff.