Father's Day Dinner
Originally published at Welcome To The Dollhouse. You can comment here or there.
e had a special Father’s Day chez Teendoc. AdoringHusband had to work, but Mommy and Baby Z braved the supermarket to make a special dinner for Z’s favorite guy.
We started with Charlotte’s Boursin Roasted Chicken:
Charlotte’s Boursin Roasted Chicken
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) whole chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (5.2-ounce) packages garlic and fines herbs flavor cheese spread (recommended: Boursin)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan or shallow casserole dish with the oil.
Rinse the chicken well under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken well, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the prepared roasting pan and place 1 whole block of cheese inside the cavity of the chicken. Cut the remaining block of cheese into fourths and pat 1/4 of the cheese spread over the breast portion of the chicken. Allow the remaining 3/4 of the block of cheese to sit out at room temperature while the chicken is roasting.
Place the roasting pan in the center of the oven. After about 10 minutes, once the cheese has softened and begun to melt on the top of the chicken, remove the pan from the oven, and using the back of a spoon, spread the Boursin all over the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown on top.
Remove the pan from the oven and turn the chicken over so the back is now facing up. A small amount of cheese will probably begin to ooze out of the chicken cavity at this point, so take a bit of it and spread it all over the back side of the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the back side of the chicken is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven one more time. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and turn the chicken over again, so the breast is once again facing up. Continue to cook until the chicken is done, 20 to 30 more minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife at one thigh joint and making sure that the juices run clear.
Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a platter or cutting board. Set aside, loosely covered with aluminum foil. Carefully remove and discard as much rendered fat from the roasting pan as possible. Add 1/2 cup hot water and the remaining cheese to the roasting pan. Remove any remaining melted cheese from the cavity of the chicken and add to the roasting pan.
Carve the chicken into serving pieces, allowing the juices from the chicken to run onto the platter. Add the juices to the roasting pan and mix well with the Boursin, drippings, and water. Serve the sauce spooned over the carved chicken.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
User Rating:
Episode#: EM2A49
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
Then we added Jamie Oliver’s The Return of the Risotto:
Return of the Risotto
Recipe courtesy Jamie Oliver
I think this is the best basic risotto recipe you will come across - you will find it really easy. I assure you that once you’ve got the knack you’ll carry on making it all the time and it won’t let you down. You can so easily enhance it by adding different seasonal ingredients. So here’s the basic risotto, which will give you an amazingly creamy base, followed by some simple recipes to take the dish in completely different directions.
Approximately 2 pints stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots or 2 medium onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 head celery, finely chopped
14 ounces arborio rice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 wine glasses dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
2 1/2 ounces butter
3 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, omit for the prawn recipe
Stage 1. Heat stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil, add the shallots or onion, garlic and celery and slowly fry for about 3 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice, season with salt and pepper and turn up the heat. Stage 2. The rice will now begin to fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent having absorbed all the flavors from the vegetables. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring - it will smell fantastic as it sizzles around the rice. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence. Stage 3. Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a highish simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladles of stock, stirring and allowing each ladle of liquid to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice - is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Don’t forget to carefully check the seasoning. Stage 4. Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan, if using. Stir gently. Place lid on pan and allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the risotto as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat as soon as possible while the risotto retains its perfect texture.
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating:
Episode#: NC1A09
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
The veggie was a steamed asparagus with lemon/parsley butter. We finished it all off with Strawberries with Ricotta Cream and Pistachios.
Strawberries with Ricotta Cream and Pistachios
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier), or fresh orange juice
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
Place the ricotta in a small strainer set over a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to drain the excess liquid.
Transfer the drained ricotta to a food processor or blender, add the brown sugar and orange liqueur, and process until smooth. (The ricotta mixture can be made up to 8 hours in advance, covered and kept refrigerated.)
Divide the strawberries among 4 dessert bowls and top each with a 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture and sprinkle with the pistachios.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
User Rating:
Episode#: GL0705
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
But his favorite part of the dinner was his present. Zizi gave him (with Mommy’s help), this perfect (his words) gift:
He was a happy man:
Technorati tags: baby, fatherhood, cooking