Extremely Proud – Incredible Roast & Mixed Bites of Carrots

I’m sending you these recipes really quickly because I am preparing for my guests! Time is going fast!

We are Extremely Proud – Incredible Roast and want you to be too. A roast chicken is a really simple dish that you can almost make once a week and do so much with. And you don’t have to do much. We love that!

The first thing I’ll say is something we are fine with – when you don’t have the time, get a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket and you’re done. They are delicious and someone did the cooking for you. But if you’re going back to basics, here’s how to make your own.

Roasted Chicken

Take a chicken and wash it off in the sink. Make sure to keep washing your hands too – raw chicken must be worked with carefully. Dispose of the “innards” unless you like to make sweetbreads, which is not my thing. Rub the chicken with olive oil, top and bottom. Sprinkle with salt & pepper liberally. Fill the cavity with a cut up orange, lemon, and/or apple. Add fresh herbs if you like – rosemary, thyme, sage or any combination you like. Put it in a 450° oven for 10-15 minutes until top is browned. Lower the oven to 350° and take the chicken out of the oven. Flip the bird on it’s back, season, and put back in for 35-40 minutes, or until the inside temperature of the chicken is at about 155°. NOTE: leave the thermometer in because the temp should be at 165° when it’s done but it will continue to cook out of the oven. When you see it’s at the right temperature, it’s ready to plate and serve.

This is another so-simple recipe. We had WONDERFUL roasted carrots at Le Grande Colbert in Paris. This is a take on what we remember with our addition into the mix of purple carrots.  Ready?

Roasted Purple & Orange Carrots

Peel and cut 10-15 carrots into chunks. Parboil the carrots – boil for a minute or two – empty all the water but about 1/4″ . Cut up 1-2 medium onions put in the pot with salt & pepper. Add about 1/4 cup vegetable or corn oil (more if you need it). Mix well until carrots and onions are well coated. Pour into a roasting pan and put in a 350° oven for about 25-35 minutes – check to make sure they don’t burn. And there you have it!

We’ve given you our 2012 Oscar Menu and all the recipes to have a delicious evening. Let us know your special Oscar menu or what you do to enjoy the Academy Awards. We’ll be sharing food pictures and all the fun.

And the Oscar goes to…