Saturday Night Chicken

For Christmas, 2009, I received the CFDA American Fashion Cookbook.  It is absolutely one of the most beautiful cookbooks I have ever seen (and certainly the fanciest cookbook in my arsenal), and includes sketches from designers like Zac Posen and Diane von Furstenberg.  While the cookbook has been in my kitchen for almost a year, I didn't venture to try any of its recipes until this evening.

I decided to go with Diane's "Saturday Night Chicken" (now that we cook the same recipes, I feel like DvF and I are on a first name basis).  The recipe was SO SIMPLE and, with a tweak to eliminate potatoes from the line-up (anybody who knows me knows that I HATE potatoes!  Yuck!) I was pleased with the results.

I dried the chicken off, salted it liberally, and filled the inside with sage leaves, lemon juice, spicy brown mustard and sour cream.  Instead of surrounding the chicken with potatoes, like the recipe calls for, I sliced up some red onions and sprinkled them around the chicken.  It was topped with a good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of rosemary, before getting into a hot hot oven!

After about an hour, I turned the heat down to 350 and uncovered the dish, so the skin would have a chance to brown (and so that I could bake a DELICIOUS Crusty French Loaf.  Thank you, Pilsbury).  And, after another half an hour . . . VOILA!!!

Brown, moist, and totally delicious.  I was disappointed with the color that was lost from the red onions during the cooking process; they don't look nearly as pretty on the plate when they're all translucent, but the flavor of the onions was still great so I have no complaints!

When I make this recipe again, I'm going to try separating the skin from the chicken and putting everything that I put inside the chicken under the skin, between the skin and the meat.  I think it will be that much better and the flavor will infuse even better.

Today's shoes:  my  Reebok Easy Tones.

I put the chicken together right after taking my beloved, adorable Arnie for a walk, and these shoes are as comfortable to cook in as they are to walk in!  Arnie hates waiting for me to get supper in the oven . . .

. . . and I can't argue with that face.