Day of the Dill
Dia del Eneldo!
In ancient Rome dill seeds were traded as currency. Medieval witches used dill to ward off curses and the evil eye. Gladiators ate meals heavily seasoned with dill believing it granted them courage. There's an old German tradition of including dill in your wedding bouquet to bless the marriage with happiness. Today I revere it for its deliciousness.
I bought fresh dill from the market on sale and couldn't wait to use it, so I used it all today! I had a whole chicken in need of being cooked and I have a secret for perfect crispy skin that I'm going to share with you.
First we season the bird. No wait, first we preheat the oven to 450. Sprinkle the skin and cavity with salt and pepper then rub it in. Then take room temperature butter - I used a couple tablespoons - and add 1/4 cup chopped dill and 3 cloves minced garlic. Rub that all up on the chicken skin and under the skin (pull the skin away from the breasts being careful not to tear it, then put back in place after seasoning). Stuff the cavity with a quartered lemon and a large sprig of dill. Put the bird in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
While that was going on I made a dressing for romaine & spinach salad. I started with a couple tablespoons olive oil (this was for two salads). I chopped up another 1/4 cup dill and threw that in along with about 1/2 tbs sugar. I used my immersion blender to whip that up. Next I added a dash of salt and pepper, the juice from half a lemon, and about 1/2 tsp yellow mustard for creaminess. Blend again, taste, adjust. I added more dill, probably another tbs or so. Let sit.
After the 20 minutes baste the chicken, then put back in for 10 minutes. After that baste again and turn the oven down to 350. You'll cook it at this temperature for another 30-45 minutes or until done, basting occasionally. When you pull it from the oven remember to let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes to reabsorb its juices.
I had 3 small sprigs of dill left so I decided to give my kitchen a little evil eye protection! I wrapped them up with some variegated thread I had at hand and hung it from my hanging basket. It's the perfect addition to my kitchen window.
I would love to have the whole window lined with drying herbs and garlic braids. With the window's mountain backdrop it'd be like living in Skyrim.
In ancient Rome dill seeds were traded as currency. Medieval witches used dill to ward off curses and the evil eye. Gladiators ate meals heavily seasoned with dill believing it granted them courage. There's an old German tradition of including dill in your wedding bouquet to bless the marriage with happiness. Today I revere it for its deliciousness.
I bought fresh dill from the market on sale and couldn't wait to use it, so I used it all today! I had a whole chicken in need of being cooked and I have a secret for perfect crispy skin that I'm going to share with you.
First we season the bird. No wait, first we preheat the oven to 450. Sprinkle the skin and cavity with salt and pepper then rub it in. Then take room temperature butter - I used a couple tablespoons - and add 1/4 cup chopped dill and 3 cloves minced garlic. Rub that all up on the chicken skin and under the skin (pull the skin away from the breasts being careful not to tear it, then put back in place after seasoning). Stuff the cavity with a quartered lemon and a large sprig of dill. Put the bird in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
While that was going on I made a dressing for romaine & spinach salad. I started with a couple tablespoons olive oil (this was for two salads). I chopped up another 1/4 cup dill and threw that in along with about 1/2 tbs sugar. I used my immersion blender to whip that up. Next I added a dash of salt and pepper, the juice from half a lemon, and about 1/2 tsp yellow mustard for creaminess. Blend again, taste, adjust. I added more dill, probably another tbs or so. Let sit.
After the 20 minutes baste the chicken, then put back in for 10 minutes. After that baste again and turn the oven down to 350. You'll cook it at this temperature for another 30-45 minutes or until done, basting occasionally. When you pull it from the oven remember to let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes to reabsorb its juices.
I had 3 small sprigs of dill left so I decided to give my kitchen a little evil eye protection! I wrapped them up with some variegated thread I had at hand and hung it from my hanging basket. It's the perfect addition to my kitchen window.
I would love to have the whole window lined with drying herbs and garlic braids. With the window's mountain backdrop it'd be like living in Skyrim.
I made your chicken recipe for dinner tonight and it was amazing. Evelyn likes chicken okay but this chicken she loved!! She had four helpings!!
ReplyDeleteOh yay I'm so happy!!! Thank you for telling me :D
ReplyDelete