From the pages of Fine Cooking Magazine

Summer Brunch Menu Classic Roast Chicken with Herb Sauce & A Salad of Bitter Greens Roquefort Popovers Orange-Soaked Bundt Cake Paired with Pinot Grigio

Classic Roast Chicken with Herb Sauce & A Salad of Bitter Greens
 
We like to serve this basic roast chicken with a green salad dressed simply with a little of the rendered fat whisked into vinegar and mustard.
Serves four.
3- to 5-lb. roasting chicken
2 to 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Sprigs of fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, tarragon)
For the sauce
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
About 3-1/2 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock
2 heaping Tbs. chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon)
2 Tbs. heavy cream (optional)
For the salad
1 Tbs. minced shallot
1 Tbs. white-wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
3 Tbs. rendered fat from the roast chicken (warm from the pan)
2 cups washed and dried mixed greens

Heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken's cavity (save for a stock if you like -- but don't include the liver, which would make the stock bitter). Pull any loose fat from around the opening. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry. Rub the chicken all over with the softened butter, gently pushing the butter under the breast skin (see Three steps to great roast chicken). Sprinkle the outside and the cavity with the salt and pepper and stuff the herb sprigs inside.

Put the chicken, breast side up, on a V-shaped rack (or a flat rack) and set the rack in a roasting pan just larger than the rack. Roast for 15 to 20 min., reduce the heat to 375°F, and continue roasting for an additional 45 min. for a total of about 1 hour for a 3-lb. chicken. For larger birds, add another 10 min. for each additional pound. The chicken is done when the leg wiggles freely in its joint and when the juices run clear from the thigh when you prick it and from the cavity when you tilt the bird. A thermometer inserted into the lower meaty part of the thigh should register 170°F. Set the chicken on a warm platter, propping up the hindquarters with an inverted saucer, and tent with foil to keep it warm while you make the sauce. Remove the rack from the pan.

Make the sauce from the pan drippings (see A double reduction intensifies the sauce). Be sure to reserve some of the fat for the vinaigrette.
To make the salad dressing, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in 3 Tbs. of the warm chicken fat, and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the greens and serve immediately with the carved chicken, drizzled with some sauce.

Roquefort Popovers
 
After much trial and error, I've come to the conclusion that for the best results, a popover pan is a must. Borrow or buy a couple-- preferably nonstick. You may not use them often, but you'll be happy you have them when you need them. You can easily halve this recipe.Yields 12 popovers.

Vegetable oil, shortening, or lard for the pans
1-1/2 cups whole milk
6 oz. Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose flour
6 large eggs

Set the oven rack to its lowest position in the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F. Generously grease 12 popover tins (preferably nonstick) with oil, shortening, or lard (butter won't work).

In a small saucepan, warm the milk and cheese over medium-low heat until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt and pepper. (You can also melt the cheese in the milk in a glass measuring cup in the microwave on low power for 1 min.)

Put the flour in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk mixture until just combined; it's fine if the batter is a bit lumpy. Add the eggs one at a time to the batter, whisking well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared tins and bake on the lowest shelf for 20 min. at 400°F. Don't open the oven, but reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake another 15 min. until the popovers are browned and fully puffed. Remove the popovers from the oven and immediately take them out of the tin to keep them from getting soggy. Poke each popover with a knife to release steam. Serve immediately or reheat just before serving.

Orange-Soaked Bundt Cake
 
This amazingly moist and delicious cake is adapted from a favorite family recipe of Bianca Henry, a New York pastry instructor. You'll need a thin skewer to poke holes in the cake. Serve the cake garnished with slices of peeled oranges macerated with a little sugar and rum.Serves ten.

For the cake:
10 oz. (2-1/4 cups) all-purpose flour; more for the pan
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
3/4 cup canola or other mild-flavored oil (check for freshness before using)
1-1/2 Tbs. finely minced lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
3/4 cup strained fresh orange juice
5 large eggs

For the syrup & glaze:
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbs. dark rum
1 cup confectioners' sugar, divided

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan.

To make the cake -- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and soda into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until fine crumbs form. Change to the whisk attachment. With the machine running on medium speed, whisk in the oil, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and orange juice. Whisk in the eggs one at a time and then increase the speed to high and whisk the batter until light, about 3 min., scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 min.
 
Poke 100 holes in the cake and then fill them up again with a tangy-sweet orange syrup.To make the syrup and glaze -- While the cake bakes, whisk together in a small bowl the orange juice concentrate, butter, rum, and 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar. When the cake is done, set the pan on a rack to cool for 5 min. With a thin skewer, poke the cake all the way through to the bottom of the pan in about 100 places. Pour 1/3 cup of the syrup over the cake and let stand for 1 hour before removing the cake from the pan. (At this point you can wrap the cake in plastic and hold for up to 3 days at room temperature; in fact, the flavor only improves.) Cover the remaining syrup with plastic and store at room temperature.When ready to serve, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar into the remaining syrup. Set the cake on a rack over a baking sheet and pour the glaze over the cake. Let stand for at least 10 min. before slicing and serving.

Bake to the Top

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