I'm BACK!

Hello friends.  I’ve returned from my blog sabbatical [not a real thing].  I have missed you all!  Reasons for my absence?  Well, I had some camera problems…all fixed now thanks to Dad’s technical genius.  I also just needed a little break from taking pictures of everything that I cooked.  Things tend to get cold during my photo shoots.  But now I am back and I have so much to tell you!  Plus…finals are here! My favorite season to procrastinate. 

For my first return post, I need some redemption.  Let me tell you a little story about the time last week when we cooked the turkey for two and a half hours on the grill but then discovered it was still completely raw.  Don’t worry- Thanksgiving was not ruined!  We carved off the turkey sashimi and roasted it in the oven for another hour, which gave me lots of time to relax [i.e. drink three glasses of wine].  But the saddest part was that I had been diligently basting the turkey with this rosemary soy glaze every 20 minutes while it was on the grill but glazing ended when it went in the oven.  We didn’t want to risk opening the oven door and losing heat…plus I was mostly focused on my wine…but the glaze smelled so delicious and was so incredibly easy that I just had to try it again.  I went with chicken this time.  It was too soon to dredge up the painful memories by cooking turkey again.  Give me a year and I’ll get over it. 

ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY SOY GLAZE 
Click here to print
serves 4-6
6 tablespoons butter (don’t question it- butter makes things taste good)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 sprigs rosemary
1 whole chicken
Half of an onion
Kitchen twine
Basting brush (or use an extra rosemary sprig if you don’t have one)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Remove chicken from refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking so that it can come to room temperature.  This allows the meat to cook more evenly.
To make the glaze: combine butter, soy sauce, mirin in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth.  Add rosemary.  Cover and keep warm over lowest heat. 
Set chicken on roasting rack in a roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels.  Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pan.  Put the onion in the cavity and tie legs with kitchen twine.  Brush with glaze.
Roast chicken for 60-70 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers at 165 degrees.  Brush with glaze every 15 minutes while roasting.  Remove from oven, let rest for 20 minutes.  Carve and serve!