I am cheap. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I am a generous friend, but cheap when it comes to how I live my life. So, I found myself in the local Goodwill Store. I really wasn’t looking for anything in particular. Sometimes I find a surprise piece of vinyl. I picked up two original Burt Bacharach records in almost mint condition last year and had to pay the princely sum of 99 cents each! Still looking for the elusive 1959 original pressing of the Rudy Van Gelder produced The Time is Right by Lou Donaldson. Now, if I can find that for 99 cents….
What I did manage to find was an almost new #117 Romertopf Clay Baker. These sell for between 90 and 100 dollars. My price – 9.99
Karl and I have both blogged about these before. They cook, having been soaked in water, at a very high temperature. The result is a better melding of flavors and a moister protein. I love to use my small version, but you can quickly run out of room if you want a one pot meal. When I acquired this size, supposedly big enough to cook a 17.5 lb turkey, I saw roast chicken in my dreams.
What follows is more of a method than a recipe.
Always soak both the top and bottom of your Romertopf in water for 15-30 minutes before using it.
Never put it in a hot oven and, when hot out of the oven, never put it on a cold surface.
Prep your veggies to go on the bottom, beneath the bird. I had on hand . . .
Sweet potatoes and potatoes,
Celery,
Carrots and onions,
Rosemary, thyme and lemon juice.
Put these beneath the bird. Wash and pat dry the bird and then rub in olive oil and seasoning. I blew the photograph after I had added ground rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Oops.
I then added about half a cup of white wine, placed the lid on top and put the clay pot it a cold oven.
I set the temperature for 450 and walked away for 90 minutes.
I removed the lid for the last ten minutes, so that the bird would brown and what came out of the oven was this. . .
Moist, Tender and Delicious!
With yummy veggies in one pot.
There is a recipe somewhere, where you mix the herbs with butter & a splash of olive oil, then rub them under the skin. Also the chicken cavity is seasoned and stuffed with roughly chopped vegetables. Baked and then white wine is added in the last 30 minutes. I am on a quest for this recipe as it came from the old Romertopf site. When I find it I will share it as it is a taste that will change your life.
That sounds like a great recipe. I hope you find it!