Whats For Dinner?

I spent time on this vacation watching a lot of HGTV and Food Network. I came home ready to cook and decorate. LOL.


Here is what we had for dinner tonight.

Clay Pot Honey-Lemon Chicken
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004
Show:
The Essence of Emeril
Episode:
Crazy for Chicken

1 (3 1/2-pound) fryer chicken
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (reserve lemon shell)
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter, plus 4 tablespoons, softened at room temperature
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Prepare a clay roaster by soaking in cold water for 15 minutes.
Wash the chicken well inside and out under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken all over with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and season evenly on all sides with the salt and pepper. Place the reserved lemon shell inside the chicken cavity. Place the chicken inside the prepared clay roaster and brush with the melted butter. Cover the roaster and transfer to a cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and cook for 45 minutes.
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of lemon juice, honey, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until heated through. In a small bowl, make a paste from the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the flour. Whisk the butter-flour mixture into the melted honey-lemon-butter mixture. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove the clay cooker from the oven and pour the honey-butter mixture all over the chicken, making sure to evenly cover the breast and any exposed areas. Cover the roaster and return the chicken to the oven for 45 minutes, or until it is cooked through and very tender. Transfer the chicken to a platter or carving board, cut into pieces and serve immediately. Transfer the sauce to a gravy boat for serving, or spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken.

I do not have a clay roaster so I used my roaster oven. In hindsight the dumb thing never works quiet right and I should have used my roasting pan in the oven. The chicken burned a little but it was delish! I cooked up two.

We had garlic mashed potatoes and carrots for side dishes.

For the garlic mashed potatoes I simply peeled and cut some potatoes. I boiled them. When they were ready to mash I minced some garlic and added sour cream, butter and milk. Yummo!

The carrots were sauteed in butter and a little olive oil.

There is enough chicken left over to use in some chicken pot pie later on this week.

Be Blessed!