Day 13: Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach, and Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

How can you resist a recipe that has the word "perfect" in the title?  Now, I've tried making a roast chicken a few times over the years, and they never seem to come out right -- it's either dry, or tasteless.  So I had hoped that Jonathan Waxman could show me what I'm doing wrong as I followed his recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach.  I loved how his recipe makes a complete dinner since he added instructions on a starch and veggie dish too.  Unfortunately I had to deviate from the starch.  As much as I love mashed potatoes (and his recipe sounded delicious), I had a little catch-up to do in the recipe department, and so I cooked my first make-up recipe today:  Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" from The New Whole Grains Cookbook.  I've typed the recipe for the chicken dinner as shown in A Great American Cook but I'll only be cooking the chicken and spinach portion.

The title was no empty promise, let me tell you.  The chicken was moist, and so delicious.  The only problems were every time I opened the oven to baste the chicken the smoke made my eyes water, and set off the smoke alarm.  Also the instructions said to cook until the thickest part of the thigh registers 165.  I'm a little nervous about undercooked chicken, but this guy is a famous chef so he should know, right?  Anyway, the last time I checked the temp the gauge registered 175 so I pulled it out of the oven, and guess what?  Underdone chicken!  The white meat was fine, but the red meat was still...well it was still red, so Paul cut off the thighs and drumsticks, and I put it in the oven for another 15 minutes, and it was perfect.  

The millet-cauliflower "mashed potatoes" were not so perfect.  They came out soupy, and tasted more like pureed oatmeal than mashed potatoes -- or cauliflower for that matter.  I even roasted some garlic to add but that didn't help.  Suffice it to say that between me, Paul, Kevin and Celeste all the serving plates on the table were emptied...except the "mashed potatoes".

Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach

A Great American Cook

Yield:  Serves 4

One 3 1/2 to 4 pound free-range, corn-fed, or naturally raised chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the chicken

8 medium Yellow Finn potatoes

8 garlic cloves

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Two 6 ounce bags spinach) or 3/4 pound bulk spinach

Heat the oven to 475

     Remove the gizzards and any extraneous fat from the chicken.  Rinse and pat it dry.  Salt and pepper the outside and inside well, and rub the chicken with olive oil.  Place the bird in a large roasting pan and roast, basting every 5 minutes with the pan juices, for 35 to 40 minutes (about 10 minutes per pound), or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.

     Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes (do not peel) and cut into pieces.  Place in a large saucepan of cold water, add six of the garlic cloves and salt to taste, and bring to boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Return the potatoes and garlic to the pot.  Add 6 tbsp of the butter, the 1/4 cup olive oil, and the reserved potato cooking water.  Mash well, using a potato masher.  Taste and season with pepper, adding more salt if needed.  Cover and keep warm.

     Washing the spinach and cut of any large stems.  Heat the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Discard the garlic, add the spinach to the skillet, and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted.  Add a good amount of salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and cover to keep warm.

     When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.

     Reheat the potatoes and spinach over low heat if necessary.  Carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes and spinach. 

Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

The New Whole Grains Cookbook

Yield:  Serves 5

1/2 cup millet

2 1/2 cups water

4 ounces sliced cauliflower stems and florets (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 tsp salt

Butter, roasted garlic, wasabi, horseradish, and/or sour cream to taste (optional)

     Wash and drain the millet, then put it in a 1 quart saucepan with a lid.  Add the water, cauliflower, and salt.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to the lowest simmer.  Cover and cook for 35 minutes, checking and giving it a stir after 30 minutes.  The millet will break open and thicken the liquid in the pot.  When the millet is very soft and thick, take it off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

     Use a blender for the smoothest puree, but a food processor will work almost as well.  Puree until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it.  Add the butter or other flavorings, if desired, and serve in place of mashed potatoes.

Tomorrow night it's Lima Bean Soup.  Which reminds me -- I better put the beans into some water to soak!

Update:  I originally added this in the comment section, but maybe it would be better to put it in the actual post.

You know, now that I think about it, in the notes Waxman said he not to truss the chicken, but the legs were flopping all over the place, so I just tied the "ankles" together. And he said to put the bird in a big roaster, but nothing about a roasting rack (I just assumed I should use one). Maybe if I put the bird directly on the pan, and didn't bind the ankles the red meat would not have needed extra time? I'll have to try that next time.