a midday roast chicken
perhaps our new family tradition
today i made alison roman’s crisp, hot roast chicken with leeks for lunch. yet another recipe i’ve tested since acquiring her latest book something from nothing. i’m most always in the mood for a roast chicken, and while my past self would designate such a lavish dish for a nice, cozy evening time meal, times have changed in this household.
pre-motherhood, you would most always find me in the kitchen making a lovely meal for us to enjoy nearly every evening. it was actually something i looked forward to (most days). it was a time to unwind, get a little messy, test out new recipes, perfect old dishes, satisfy a craving on a whim. it’s strange to think back to those days. i somehow can’t even remember such a ritual in this household.
evenings are now a rush to get it all done before theo’s bedtime. a walk, a tidy-up, and depending on what day of the week it is, i’m either at my kitchen space in the afternoons or working on projects at home til about 5-ish and would much rather have an evening walk with the family than trap myself in the kitchen as the sun sets outside.
so, dinner is lunch and our evening meal now consists of a giant pot of soup enjoyed all week long or a little egg omelette with something fresh. sometimes it’s a fridge raid—hummus, crackers, leftover roasted vegetables, a handful of nuts, maybe a sliver of cheese, yogurt with berries, orange slivers. not all in one evening, but sometimes, maybe. depending on the level of hunger. come summer time, i know it’ll be a simple salad dish with extra protein and fiber. i’m already dreaming of the plates i’ll whip up (in 15 minutes or less because that’s all the time i can spare.)
our midday meal has become the fancy meal. i’ll cook something so it’s fresh just in time for lunch with plenty of leftovers to reheat throughout the week. two meals each week. that’s it. it just works better that way.
today, in between cookbook writing and tidying up a few things at my kitchen space, i roasted a chicken. the prep took no time at all. simply oil a pan and place the bird on top, add in prepped additions like a halved lemon, onion and garlic head, and a sprig of fresh bay to stuff inside. slivers of leeks around the bird. a handful of somewhat sad gold and red baby potatoes that had started to sprout in the pantry. drizzle on more oil, plenty of salt, lots and lots of fresh ground green pepper (i’ve been out of black peppercorns for weeks now.)
off into the oven to roast, the drippings sizzling and sputtering as i type away at the little banquette we’re in the process of finishing out. a quick pause halfway through for a little basting, and then off she went into the oven again til the skin had crisped and browned. and while she rested out of the oven, i made my current salad obsession to enjoy alongside.
and, at just the right time, the three of us gathered around the table to enjoy a perfectly cooked bird in the middle of the day with crisp leeks, a few bites of roasted potatoes, and a wonderfully bright, fresh salad. it felt so lavish, so indulgent, scooping up bite after bite. one bite crisp and light with salty little capers, others juicy and hot, coated in a golden rich sauce of chicken drippings and olive oil. it was quite the lovely midday meal, i must say. and i continued to think about that meal all day long because it was good and simple and felt like such a treat somehow. even though a roast chicken is nothing out of the ordinary for this household. but to enjoy it at its freshest, when the day is still unfolding.
why haven’t i done such a thing sooner? perhaps this will become our new family tradition.