Yesterday just seemed like a roast chicken sort of day. I'm not sure why, some days are just like that. Amidst all the errands and appointments, I popped into the grocery store. I picked up a lime, some fresh herbs, and the teeny little red pototoes I always associate with Spring. I'll have herbs of my own growing in the cottage garden soon. I had everything else for the meal at home.
I parboiled the carrots and potatoes. I don't think they are tender enough without this step. I also threw in some eggs into the pot to make hard boiled eggs for lunch. More on them later. I try to boil eggs with something else that needs cooking. This saves energy and also imparts some calcium into whatever else is in the pot. Make sure to wash off the egg shells.
While chatting with a dear friend (yes I am a multitasker) I got dinner together. I tossed the parboiled potatoes and carrots, along with some uncooked celery, with a small amount of olive oil and a key lime spice blend. Think savory on the key lime, not pie.
I rinsed out the whole chicken, one of my least favorite chores on earth. As we say in New York, it skeeves me out. I stuffed the cavity where you might put dressing with fresh thyme, fresh basil, four cloves of garlic, and the shells of the lime with the juice sequezed out. I used the juice all over the outside of the chicken and then rubbed in the key lime spice. The vegetables were arranged around the chicken. I baked the whole thing at 350 for about two hours.
Still in the same conversation with a friend, I tackled the eggs. I had all the cooked yolks mashed up ready for mayo BUT no mayo in the fridge. I saw some chipotle ranch dressing in there, sort of languishing on the side of the fridge., I used it in place of mayo and the key lime spice I had out instead of salt and pepper. Kids, I nearly swooned at the taste, it was that good.
Here's the result of the chicken. It was, as they say, crazy tasty. There was plenty left over for lunch, for soup for another night, and for Joe who stopped by and had a chicken leg while he visited.
