Balsamic Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

An evening of thunderstorms had us roasting chicken indoors, and this Italian-inspired recipe hit the spot. As much as I love bacon, I seldom eat it. When I do, it’s the delicious, natural, uncured, nitrate free kind my mother and grandmother cooked. And as my mother and grandmother did, I strain and save the bacon fat so I can make delicious meals like this one. This chicken can be served warm or at room temperature, and it’s a wonderful main dish for summer salads and side dishes.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN with GARLIC and ROSEMARY

1 3½ - 5lb. whole chicken, halved, backbone removed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, rosemary or unflavored
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
Lots of peeled whole garlic cloves (halve if very large)
Fresh rosemary sprigs
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 slices of pancetta, or 4 Tbs. bacon fat

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1. Preheat oven to 375 . Drizzle roasting pan with olive oil, then stir in balsamic vinegar and wine.

2. Stir garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs into mixture.

3. Wash chicken well. Discard giblets (or save for another use). If you use them, insert pop-up timers into chicken breasts. Place chicken halves skin side up in roasting pan to coat bottom with mixture, the turn skin side down. Distribute garlic and rosemary evenly around chicken.

4. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up. Baste with pan juices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Lay pancetta, if using, over chicken, or dot chicken with bacon fat. Cook another hour or so, basting once or twice, until chicken is well browned and timers pop up.

5. Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary, Greek Bean Salad, and Steamed Broccoli

Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Breadcrumbs

Growing up in a "meat and potatoes" house wasn't entirely boring. On Sundays, my mother changed from frying or broiling the meat to roasting it, and instead of mashing the spuds, she baked them in the grease that pooled around a predictable pageant of roasts that rotated from beef to chicken to pork to lamb and back again.

Despite the lack of any seasoning other than salt and pepper, my mother's roast lamb was always a favorite for me, and I never gave a thought to cooking it any other way. Then I married into a family of Syrian descent and learned that lamb could be ground, used as stuffing, kneaded with wheat, braised, cubed, marinated, skewered, or barbecued with spectacular results.

Most ethnic cookbooks offer several outstanding lamb dishes. The following adaptation of an old French recipe is a long-standing favorite among the lamb-a-holics in my family. This dish can be prepared ahead and popped into the oven an hour before serving.

RACK of LAMB with ROSEMARY BREADCRUMBS

2 Racks of Lamb                                      ¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
4 Tbs. Olive Oil                                        6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
8 Tbs. Unsalted Butter                             4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
Dijon Mustard                                          Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

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Trim as much fat from lamb as possible. Place lamb on waxed paper. Using a spreading spatula, thinly coat each rack with Dijon mustard. Lightly salt and pepper each rack.

One round loaf of bread (Tuscan or Boule, e.g.,) should give you four cups of breadcrumbs. Cut off the crust and reserve for another use. Tear bread and prepare in food processor, dropping in garlic cloves until well blended.

Melt butter. Place in large mixing bowl with olive oil, parsley, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Empty breadcrumb mixture into bowl and combine well with olive oil mixture. Pat breadcrumb mixture over both racks of lamb, pressing to adhere.

Place lamb in roasting pan lined with foil. Bake at 425° for one half hour. Lower heat to 350° and continue cooking for another half hour for medium well-done. Serves 4.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

This summer was hot in Southern Maryland. I didn't cook much. Now that the weather has cooled, I'm back in the kitchen.

There are many great techniques for preparing roast chicken. As an aspiring author with a busy schedule, I appreciate the convenience of a slow cooker. A 6-7 quart size slow cooker is required for this recipe.

I usually slow cook the chicken early in the week so we have leftovers for several days, and I have time to write instead of preparing meals. On the first night, I like to serve the chicken with Garlic Green Beans and Shitake Mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1 6-7 pound roaster chicken
1/2 lemon
6 cloves garlic, cut in halves
4 sprigs rosemary, plus 2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Remove giblets and neck from cavity of chicken.

2. Place garlic, rosemary sprigs and lemon in chicken cavity.

3. Blend minced rosemary, sea salt and black pepper. Rub on outside of chicken.

4. Place chicken in crock, cover and cook according to manufacturer's recommendation. Internal temperature should measure at least 165°F (74°C).

For my slow cooker: HIGH for 4 hours. LOW for 8 hours. My old cooker had an auto-shift option. Since I like to start the cooker around noon, I simulate the auto-shift by cooking on high for 1 hour then switching to low for 5 hours.