Don’t Be Chicken, It’s Easy to Roast

Michael loves a turkey dinner with all the fixings, just like his mother makes. She is a pro at it, so understandably I had some trepidation about being able to replicate it…so much so that on our honeymoon, I muttered in my sleep, “I forgot to baste the turkey.”

In the years that followed, I have successfully made that dinner, but it’s a lot of work for an everyday meal. So Michael and I have agreed on what the most essential elements are, so that he can enjoy it more often. As it turns out, he is just as happy with a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and peas. Cranberry sauce doesn’t hurt. He’s partial to the jellied variety from the can, so I don’t even bother making something from scratch anymore, even though I think that’s more interesting.

Roast Chicken With Vegetables

In the early days, I even shied away from roasting a whole chicken. I had eaten boneless, skinless breasts for so long that I imagined roasting a whole bird to be a complicated affair until Michael’s Aunt Beanie said to me reassuringly, “It’s just about the easiest thing ever. All you have to do is put it in the oven.”

Aunt Beanie was right. You can stuff the cavity and under the skin with all kinds of herbs, onion, garlic, lemons etc. But in its simplest form, it couldn’t be easier. A little seasoned salt and roasted at 425 for an hour and a half works for a 4-5 pound bird. (Rubbing the skin with a little butter first helps it turn golden brown.) Let it rest before carving. In the meal pictured above, I threw some carrots into the roasting pan during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Peas

Peas were always my least favorite part of this meal. As a child, I would swallow them whole with my milk whenever possible. I didn’t like the texture, so I basically came to view peas as only suitable for a garnish; a pop of color in paella, for example. Then my friend, Veronica, served fresh English peas in a way that I found absolutely delicious and not mushy. She put them into a skillet with some shallots and butter. Changed my view forever. I still keep the ubiquitous frozen variety around, but instead of boiling them, I now put them into a skillet with butter for a couple minutes with some onion and garlic. Easy peasy!

For more on mashed potatoes and gravy, please read No Small Potatoes.