Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Molasses
I wish that people were like roast chicken. Reliable, consistent (with a delicious crackle-tastic skin). You understand that the breasts are likely to be dry, that people will be boring or nasty, but overall they still hold some (delicious) promise.
What a lovely surprise when your bird is juicy all the way through, that is the key indicator that your new friend is just that. It doesn’t happen very often and in that a roast chook is just like a person. But, unlike humans, it is unusual to find a bird that is incompetent, hurtful, shallow or self absorbed. A chicken, once cooked, doesn’t change, except for the expected outcomes of heat dissipation, refrigeration, and its slow trudge towards rot.
A nicely prepared chicken really is the gift that keeps on giving. As well as the initial feast there are moist slivers of meat for sandwiches, left over white meat to be gently reheated and reinvented, a carcass bearing an eternity of possibilities. Just like a good friend.
Roast chicken with pomegranate molasses, steamed broccoli and sumac mushrooms.
I am mired in the incompetence and unreliability of others right now, hence my (short) absence from new posts, commenting and comment answering. Thanks for still visiting, and as soon as this spell is over I have plenty of exciting posts waiting in the wings, including that secret dinner (+ recipe!), A Tavola and more.
I don’t have a recipe as such today, no measurements or complex process to follow, just an idea. Pomegranate Molasses. I mixed a few tablespoons of this tangy sweet molasses with two crushed garlic cloves, some olive oil, a slurp of lemon juice and seasoned it with salt and pepper (and a little sumac, just because). Create a cavity between the flesh and the skin of the bird, don’t be shy, get your fingers up in there. Be careful of sharp fingernails, the skin is a protective layer over the delicate meat and any tears will result in a less moist result. Get right in there, on the legs, too. Now, spoon the pomegranate marinade in. Rub the skin gently to evenly distribute and pour the remainder into the body cavity of the chicken.
Roast as normal, in a hot oven for that layer of lacquered skin. Enjoy with friends, or alone and hoping that people were so clueless.
This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
9 Comments
i love the taste of homemade roast chicken. i’ve never tried it yet but when my mum cooks one it brings back fond childhood memories, especially gnawing on the drumstick bone and those crispy bits at the end of the wing.
.-= Simon Food Favourites´s last blog ..Exotic Asian Fruits, Cabramatta (2 August 2009) =-.
lol at the idea of comparing chicken to friends and people
so many potential analogies… i’m all about digging below the surface!
.-= Helen (Grab Your Fork)´s last blog ..How to cook pork crackling (and maple syrup choko fries) =-.
oh yes to roast chicken! Place the bird in front of me with a fork and bowl of good gravy and I can polish off the whole chicken. Yum!
.-= Karen´s last blog ..23 (more) Reasons to visit Perama… =-.
Hey Lili
Nice recipe. I see you have caught the Meditarranean bug, pasta and then pomegranate molasses. Looks great! Was it similar to the balsamic version?
F
.-= SydneyCider´s last blog ..The Silence of Travel =-.
I like the analogy, and can’t wait for the backlog of posts, and the promise of new adventures to be had…
.-= Reemski´s last blog ..Cupcake Camp Sydney =-.
I heart your chicken metaphor
(have ripe pomegranates in the fridge)
nice pic, darling girl.
Love the idea of the pomegranate molasses, will have to try it out sometime. And I definitely agree, if only everyone was as reliable as roast chicken hehe. I’m looking forward to your recipe post from the secret dinner immensely
.-= Steph´s last blog ..Cranberry Cinna-Choc Cookies =-.
Mm – I have pomegranate molasses in my pantry which I mainly use for drizzling over grilled haloumi and roasted lamb – didn’t think about using it with chicken. Going to have to try that recipe soon
.-= Forager´s last blog ..Vietnamese eating tour – the mighty Mekong =-.
Simon Food Favourites: Oh I hear that. My Grandma makes roast chicken often and it is delicious.
Helen (Grab Your Fork): Haha, as long as you aren’t digging with your fork, then I’m happy!
Karen: How are you so thin? I couldn’t even eat half a chicken (i know, I tried recently).
SydneyCider: I know, what is going on! I LOVE pomegranate molasses, thanks for showing me the good place to buy it
Reemski: Oh, thank you.
pmum: Thanks (p)mum, wish I was there to devour everything in your fridge (see what you’ve got to look forward to?
Steph: Oh it’s coming steph, don’t you worry about that
Forager: It is amazing with chicken. I never thought to eat it with haloumi but I imagine it would go wonderfully with crisp, warm salty chewy cheese. I should give that one a go