Weeknight Indulgence - Roasted Chicken With Orange Tarragon Butter

Me and Chicken, we've got a complicated relationship going. Arguably America's favorite meat, Chicken has just never done it for me. I know, I know, you don't agree - I've heard it all before - but admit it: Chicken needs embellishment to be interesting. Sure, you can serve it slathered in barbecue sauce or bread and fry it, but no one, no one, is going bonkers for a plain old Chicken Breast. And please, don't even think about preparing it skinless (why!?). No matter how good a cook you are, you may as well ask me to gnaw on a piece of cardboard. Really, no thanks. 

In summary, my chief complaint about Chicken is this: on its own, it is just not a particularly flavorful meat. If you don't agree, compare Steak or Lamb, meats that require minimal enhancement to be interesting. Just a little Salt and Pepper and you're good to go. But not Chicken - Chicken needs a little more zhushing. But if there's a silver lining to Chicken's woeful blank slate status, it's that it does take flavor exceptionally well, and when seasoned nicely and prepared with care, it can really be something special. 

Roasted Chicken With Orange Tarragon Butter, Photo: NK 

Today's easy and surprisingly indulgent weeknight dinner is an excellent example of Chicken at its finest. Flavored with a bright, tangy Orange Juice and Zest combined herbaceous notes from the Tarragon ( a favorite herb of mine that has a twinge of Licorice in its scent) it's tasty but understated.

Roasted whole Chicken also incorporates my two other rules for great Chicken:  if you prepare it bone-in, it will always be juicier. The second rule is to leave the skin on, because, hello, that's the good stuff. Even if you take it off prior to eating (why?!!) cooking Chicken with the skin on will make for a moister, more delcious bird. 

Note: This dish has a longer prep time than our normal weeknight meals - it will take about 10 minutes to prepare and an hour and a half to cook, plus ten minutes to rest. You will, however, find that if you can start early enough, the recipe is practically effortless. Barely any prep time at all - maybe five minutes, tops! The Orange Tarragon Butter that makes this recipe so decadent could certainly be made ahead, providing you build in some time to bring it to room temperature. 


Easy Orange Tarragon Roasted Chicken
Serves 3-4 adults 

Orange Tarragon Butter, Photo; NK

Ingredients: 
One 4.5 to 6 Pound Roasted Chicken, giblets removed and brought to room temperature
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter, room temperature
1 small Yellow or White Onion, halved 
1 large Navel Orange, Zested and halved
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Tarragon plus a few sprigs for garnish
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 with the rack in the middle.

Bring Chicken to room temperature by letting it sit out about a half an hour.

Mix the Butter and Tarragon together in a small bowl. Add all the Orange Zest and the juice of half the Orange. Mix again until well incorporated. It's ok if some of the Orange Juice remains separated.

Stuff the Chicken's cavity with the two Onion Halves and/or the other unjuiced half of the Orange. Place the bird in a roasting pan. 

Season the bird liberally with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. Next, cut a hole into the skin just above the neck, so that you create a pocket between the skin and bird. Carefully pull the skin up from the body as you stuff it with some of the Orange Tarragon Butter, smooshing it around as best you can. 
Finish by coating the outside of the bird with all the remaining Flavored butter. 

Place in the oven on the middle rack and roast for about an hour and 20 minutes (for a 4.25 lb bird) to an hour and a half (for a large bird), basting several times with the pan juices. Place the Chicken on a platter and pour the pan juices over it. Serve with orange slices (from the second half of the Orange) and sprigs of fresh Tarragon. 

Enjoy! 

Simply Summer - Corn With Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter + Queso Fresco

Don't you just love it when things are simple? Today's post is about an absurdly easy yet show-stopping side that will have your guests smiling in no time.

Corn on the Cob with Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter and Queso Fresco, Photo: NK

Corn on the Cob with Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter and Queso Fresco is really as easy as mixing up a few ingredients and then boiling (or grilling) one of the season's best veggies - sweet summer corn.

The inspiration for this recipe came to me years ago while I was watching an episode of Boy Meets Grill, one of Bobby Flay's Food Network shows. Bobby mixed up something quite like today's Garlic, Lime, and Jalapeño Butter for corn - which of course he grilled. Ever since then, I've been making this amazingly easy and flavor-packed compound butter each year using my own favorite ingredients and proportions. Honestly, I have yet to find a guest who doesn't love it, and it's an easy way to deliver major wow factor with almost no effort! I personally prefer the ease of quickly boiling corn, but you can certainly grill it as Flay recommends. Up to you!  Check out his version HERE.

In general, compound butters are a great make-ahead way to jazz up both proteins and vegetables. In fact, you may also want to check out our Meyer Lemon Herb Butter for Lamb HERE. 


Corn on the Cob With Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter and Queso Fresco 
Inspired by Bobby Flay 
Yield - 1 Stick of Butter + 8 Ears of Corn 
Ingredients: 

Creating the Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter, Photo: NK 

For the Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter
Zest of 2 Limes + 1 teaspoon Lime Juice 
3 Large Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
1 Large Jalapeno, minced (seeds and all) 
1 Stick of Salted Butter, sliced up and softened 


For the Corn
8 Ears of sweet summer Corn
1/4 Lb Queso Fresco (or Cotija Cheese, or even Pepper Jack)
Black Pepper
3 Limes, quartered, for serving 



Method: 
1. First, make the Butter. In a small bowl or mug, mix together sliced butter at room temperature with the first four ingredients until fully incorporated. 
Spoon onto a square of plastic wrap and shape into a a baton shape. Roll plastic over the butte carefully and seal on each end - like a party favor. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or the refrigerator for 20. Before using, slice butter into pats and bring to room temperature.

Voila! Photo: NK 

2. About 20 minutes before you are ready to serve the dish, set a very large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the ears of Corn and cook until tender - about 5 minutes. Remove ears of corn to a platter and top with slices of Garlic Jalapeño Lime Butter (you will likely have some butter leftover). 


3. Spread pats of butter around so they begin to melt. Grate the Queso Fresco or other cheese over the platter, top with a quick squeeze of lime juice and a good sprinkle of black pepper. Serve family style with lime wedges 

Enjoy!