Roots for the Win! Roasted Celery Root and Parnsips

I love working with the humble root vegetables. They are often overlooked and underutilized. Celery Root is one of those vegetables. This is a recipe I adapted from a Molly Stevens one. Rather easy.

1) An equal mix of parsnips (1 lb) and celery root (1 of them), peeled and cut into equal length (1-2” long) sticks. Be careful with the Celery Root. That outer skin is tough. I use a knife to peel down that skin.

2) 4-6 ounces of smoky bacon, diced and about 2 tbsps of rosemary, roughly chopped.

3) Combine the parsnips, celery root, bacon and rosemary in a mixing bowl and drizzle with a few TBSP of your favorite roasting oil. You can actually amp up the flavor with duck fat but I am getting greedy… Anyway, mix well and put on a cooking sheet/baking pan.

4) 375 Degree oven. Put in the parsnips/celery root and cook for about 30 minutes, mixing occasionally. Add a TBSP of maple sugar and white wine vinegar, mix well and cook another 5-10 minutes until they are tender and you can see some browning. Serve!

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Pass the Mustard - Chicken Dijonnaise

This recipe came from my Molly Stevens Roasting cookbook so I can’t take credit for it. But you can always tweak it to your heart’s desire. The flavor was outstanding! If you love mustard or the tang of mustard, this dish is for you!

1) Put the pieces of a 3 1/2 - 4 pound chicken in a large bowl. Add a bit of salt and pepper for seasoning and 1/3 Cup of Dijon mustard. I like Maille as it is more aggressive/more flavorful than Grey Poupon. Make sure all the pieces are coated well. Wrap bowl and let it marinade in the fridge for 4 hours or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours.

2) Put chicken in a shallow roasting pan that can fit all the pieces without overlapping/crowding. Pour a 1/4 C of white wine or vermouth around the chicken. Dollop 1/2 C of creme fraiche on top of the chicken pieces (anyway really as the creme will melt in the oven). Put in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the breasts register 165 degrees internal temp and the thighs/legs are about 180 degrees. Baste now and then with the drippings.

3) If the chicken isn’t quite brown, take it out of the oven. Turn up oven to broil. Once heated, put chicken in for about 3 to 4 minutes.

4) Take chicken and put on platter, cover with foil. Drain sauce into another pan and bring to a boil Reduce the sauce by half. I recommend either skimming the fat off or putting the sauce into a defatting container. Add 1-4 TBSPs of lemon juice to taste along 2 Tsps of tarragon or parsley. Serve the chicken with a little of the sauce on top of the chicken and the rest in a gravy boat if people want more..

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Beet it! Beet it!

We won’t be defeated here at the ‘Nosh! Roasted Golden Beets, let’s go.

1) Trim off the stalks and greens. Peel.

2) On a square foil sheet, put the beet in the middle. Put a peeled garlic clove, drizzle a little oil and sprinkle with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Seal up the packet.

3) Place completed packets on a cookie/baking pan. Put in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the beets are fork tender.

4) BE CAREFUL!!! Open up foil packets to let beets cool down. Once cool, slice (to your desired thickness), put on a plate, and sprinkle some feta cheese, parsley and a drizzle of the oil still in the packets.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

My Boy Lollipop - Chicken Wings

1) Chill your wings down a bit so that they are easier to cut and work with

2) Near the end where all the meat is (shoulder joint), carve around the wing through the meat to the bone. Now with the blade perpendicular to the bone(BE CAREFUL!!!), start to scrap the meat toward the shoulder joint to make a ball of chicken meat.

3) Optional, chop off the end wing joint. I used my cleaver for a clean cut.

4) I chose to roast these at 500 degrees for about 35 minutes. Always take an internal temp reading to be safe (165 degrees USDA recommended). I always shoot for 180 degrees with wings as they have connective tissues/tendons etc.

5) Glaze (your choice) at the end in a turned off oven. Add more glaze as you see fit.