Citrus Chicken Rested in Herbs by Alison Roman

Talk about a summer meal! This bright juicy chicken begs for a summer bbq. It’s also a great oven-friendly chicken for days when you want to pretend you’re in summer. The bottom line is summer. 

The first step in this recipe tripped me up. Cutting a chicken completely in half, between the breasts and through the backbone. Can my knife really… do that? The answer is, yes, your knife (if you have a good chef’s knife) really can cut through a backbone if you apply enough pressure. Alison claims a cleaver is the best tool for the job, but honestly, who casually owns a cleaver? And why not spatchcock it? Alison says it “eliminates the air space in the cavity of the bird, which means it will cook much faster.” I don’t know. My gut tells me spatchcocking would have worked just as well, since I made mine in the oven. I can see why cutting it in two pieces would be useful for grilling (ease of flipping), but if I make this again, I may try spatchcocking. 

Both chicken halves are marinated in fresh lime juice (or lemon juice), fresh orange juice, soy sauce, garlic and yuzu kosho. What is yuzu kosho, you ask? It’s a Japanese condiment made from fresh green chiles. It’s the consistency of curry paste and comes in a similarly shaped jar. I searched multiple grocery stores for this little condiment, to no avail. Alison utilizes this ingredient in multiple recipes, so I took the plunge and ordered some on Amazon. Here’s a fun article about it from Bon Appetit if you want to learn more. 

The chicken needs at least 30 minutes in the marinade (or up to 24 hours) to soak in the flavor. Then it’s oven-roasted for 35-45 minutes until the skin is impossibly golden and crispy looking. Plate the halves on top of thinly sliced citrus and a boat load of herbs, and drizzle reserved marinade on top. 

Crispy skin and powerful flavor are what make this chicken special. I can see why yuzu kosho is a popular “secret weapon” -- it adds heat, but heat that’s also tangy instead of a pure heat like gochujang. In other words, yuzu kosho is the Cholula to Sriracha. While Alison says you can substitute the yuzu kosho here for sambal or a jalapeno, I’d encourage you to go the extra mile (or internet search) to find this special chile paste instead. 

62 recipes cooked, 163 to go.

Sticky Roasted Carrots with Citrus and Tahini by Alison Roman

I had a realization the other day about Alison’s use of the word “sticky.” At least when it comes to use in a recipe title, both these sticky carrots and her sticky walnuts use maple syrup, a naturally sticky substance, as a sweetening agent in the roasting process. But oddly enough, both the carrots and walnuts didn’t turn out to be very sticky. That’s about as far as that realization went. Anyways…

Regardless of the lack of stickiness, this carrot dish is rather inventive in its flavor pairing, and in true Alison fashion, is unapologetically bold. I’ve said before that Alison commits wholeheartedly to flavor, and this recipe is no exception. There’s nothing subtle about it. 

The elements at play here are the subtle sweetness of the carrots. I prefer smaller carrots like the multicolored Le Petite bag from Trader Joes. They’re pre-peeled and trimmed so the preparation is simpler. The quartered carrots are tossed with maple syrup, thinly sliced citrus (I used a navel orange), red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. The other element present is half a red onion, sliced into .5 inch chunks and lightly pickled in lemon juice a few minutes before roasting. The combination of these spicy, acidic and sweet flavors and textures make this not your average veggie side. 

As if this needed another dimension, a simple tahini sauce coats the serving platter before placing the carrots and onions on top. I’m not always in the mood for a strong sesame seed presence. However, I found myself reaching to dip some of my carrots into the sauce throughout the meal. The tahini’s nutty flavor and smooth texture added another welcome complexity. 

All in all, I found Alison’s signature boldness a perfect strategy for cooking this mild vegetable. There will be more of these carrots in my future.

53 recipes cooked, 172 to go.