TUESDAY

Butterflied & Braised Chickens  |  Truffled Cauliflower Mash  |  Lemon~Caper Gremolata

 

“Best laid plans of mice and men often go astray…”

 

It is Thursday and I am just now getting to share with you Tuesday evening’s dinner…an indicator as to how this week is moving along.  I knew it was going to be busy with Michael in Finland, getting the horses out to the beach for a conditioning session, and juggling Maddie’s horse show with Max & Mallory’s school and sports schedules so I “planned” our dinners accordingly.  But, a last minute minute change in the horse show schedule necessitated me getting Maddie down to Woodside a day early {on Wednesday} and back in time for school pick up, a riding lesson and football practice.  Twelve hours {and 427 miles of driving} later, everyone got to where they needed to be when they needed to be there and the only casualty of the day was my dinner post.  Not a big deal, in fact I was going to skip it all together, but it was SO good.  I mean REALLY good…comfort food at it’s best and a perfect autumn dinner…so here it is {better late than never}.

One word of caution before I begin…this is not an ideal weeknight meal.  Although there is nothing difficult about the preparation {chopping, browning, roasting}, a bit of time is required making it a perfect dinner for a Sunday when you can enjoy the amazing aroma of roasting chicken and herbs as it fills the house.  Since I spent the better part of Monday away from home {and it became apparent that Wednesday would be the same} I enjoyed a bit of extra time in the kitchen on Tuesday and getting plenty of chores done while chickens and vegetables roasted in the oven.

The braised chicken is incredibly moist and the tender meat packed with flavor from a ton of herbs, lemon, garlic and shallots.  You can find the recipe for Spatchcocked and Braise~Roasted Chicken in one of my earlier posts by clicking here.

Now I LOVE mashed potatoes and nothing {I mean NOTHING!} could ever take their place but a cauliflower mash is a great option when a lighter, healthier side is desired.  Roasting the cauliflower and onions results in the caramelization of their natural sugars and intensifies the flavor…

While the addition of fresh thyme and truffle oil lends an earthy flavor perfect for autumn…

The final dish is a creamy vegetable that pairs well with richly~roasted meats.

Truffled Cauliflower Mash {slightly adapted from Roost}   Serves 4~6

• 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2-3 tablespoons of truffle oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• heavy cream {warmed}

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, onion & garlic with the olive oil.  Spread the mixture into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Place baking sheet in the oven and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the vegetables begin to caramelize.
4. Remove sheet from the oven and carefully transfer roasted vegetables into a blender or food processor {depending on the size of your appliance, you may need to do this in batches}.  Add thyme leaves and blend until mixture has a smooth, thick consistency.  If mixture is too thick, add a touch of cream and blend.
5. Pour mash into a large bowl and stir in the truffle oil, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

The finishing touch to this meal is the gremolata which tops the chicken.  Gremolata is a chopped herb condiment typically made with lemon zest, garlic and parsley but in this version from Roost the overall flavor is intensified with the addition of salty capers…

Lemon~Caper Gremolata {slightly adapted from Roost}  Serves 4-6

• 1½ cups fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, pushed through a garlic press
• ¼ cup capers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

1. In a bowl, combine parsley, garlic and capers.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest.  Add the parsley mixture to the olive oil/lemon dressing and toss well to combine.  Set aside to marinate.

When it is time to serve the chicken, place a spoonful of the gremolata on top of the meat and serve with the Truffled Cauliflower Mash.