So, I have one secret when it comes to cooking a beef roast, whole chicken or turkey: slow roasting. Going “low and slow” as my Mom used to say does some magical things. Typically, the chicken will debone itself as I attempt to pull it out of the pot. The flavors of homegrown garlic, onion, thyme, sage and celery are imbibed throughout the chicken by the slow roasting. The white meat stays tender and the fat rendered from the dark meat mixes with the seasonings to create the most delicious gravy ever (which I have finally also learned to perfect… after a decade of trying). Tonight, this little family is having a roasted chicken feast.
Now, because I think it’s patently unfair to talk about a tried-and-true trick and not give the details, here’s the exact procedure: Take one whole chicken (I prefer the organic as it tends to give up a little more fat), and rinse. Add salt into the cavity along with a rough-chopped small onion, celery stick (or dried celery leaves), and two cloves of rough-chopped garlic. Place in a dutch oven and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Melt a tiny bit of butter (less than one tablespoon) and use it to baste the top of the chicken. Add dried thyme, sage, salt, pepper and garlic powder – or any other seasonings you prefer. The butter helps the seasonings stick. Cover and place in an oven at 325 degrees. Cook for 2½ -3 hours undisturbed (until the juice at the bottom of the pain is largely reduced and the top is a light golden brown). Pull from the oven and use the drippings to make gravy. That’s it. I will sometimes add carrots and small potatoes or – more likely – I will make some mashed potatoes. Tonight, chicken and mashed potatoes get paired with some homegrown frozen green beans and voila – dinner! Plus, the house will smell amazing. On a day when it’s supposed to start snowing at 6 p.m., the combination of heat and good smells from the oven will make it even cozier inside.
Honestly? This is what I love. I have to be frank here. A lot of times, “what’s for dinner” is just another item on my to-do list. But every once in awhile – no matter how pedestrian the meal actually is – “what’s for dinner” is an enjoyable pursuit. Tonight? It’s very enjoyable. I’m looking forward to both the meal preparation and the meal itself. You can’t get any better than that.
But it occurs to me that I have never really paid a lot of attention to why “what’s for dinner” can be either a slog or a creative activity. It just is/was. Now that I think about it though, there’s a pretty clear difference. When it’s a slog, it’s because I’m rushed or uninspired and I’m just phoning it in. In a home where I pride myself on home-cooked meals every night, sometimes it’s just a task to be done. When it’s creative and fun? It’s because I’m actually looking forward to the activity and while it will still be a bit tedious – who truly loves cleaning and chopping potatoes? – it’s the process that feels good. And why does it feel so good? Lots of reasons. It’s the focus on the here and now vs. the past or future. The focus on family and home vs. professional pursuits. It symbolizes the transition from day (i.e. work/responsibilities) to evening (i.e. relaxation/conversation). It’s an expression of love, when done right, and an expression of self-care, when made healthy.
Tonight, like the chicken, I will tend to be a bit slow roasted. No, that doesn’t mean I’m going to over-imbibe. 😊 Instead, my goal is to take the evening slowly. At 4 p.m., I’ll shut my computer after my last call and pivot solely to home for the weekend. I’ll prep dinner and get it into the oven, then go through the house, picking up errant items and putting them back in place, turning on lights, drawing curtains and stopping here and there for a kitty cuddle or two. The noise of the day will settle into the quiet sounds of the evening… the sound the switch makes when turned on, the clatter of plates as the table gets set and the swoosh of the curtains being closed. Life, like me, will slow down and time will become slightly suspended. There will be a point – an hour or so – where there is nothing left to do, nowhere else to go and no one left to satisfy outside of the heartbeats within this house. At that point, the day is done and good or bad, it will be time to let it go. When we finally sit down for dinner and perhaps a glass of wine, it will be about good conversation, good food and the sweetest little kitties in the world.
Tonight, dinner is inspiring. And for today? That’s enough.
The Yuppie Homesteader 