Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Spicy Basil Chicken (Gkai Pad Gka-prow)

It is hard to believe that it was 12 years ago when Paul and I first learned how to make this dish during a cooking class at ramekins in Sonoma. We loved the blend of flavours that is so characteristic of Thia foods - particularly sweet and spicy in this dish. When we first started making this recipe at home for ourselves we were required to make trips to Chinatown to find the basil and kaffir lime leaves - happily these are often in our regular grocery store now.

A few weeks ago I wrote about our 'Asian feast'. Once everything had been cooked and eaten I realized I had plenty of Thai basil left - wanting to use it up I remembered this recipe. Oddly enough I had never featured it on the blog although I bet I've made it 10 times over the past 5 years (and I rarely cook anything more than once unless it's something regularly seasonal i.e. Christmas turkey). It is finally time to share one of our favourite recipes with you!

Like so many recipes made in a wok, this one cooks very quickly. The best strategy is to have everything prepped, measured, and sitting in bowls for ready access when you need it.

One thing that I particularly enjoy about this recipe is the way it can be modified - like many stiry fries you can add or subtract as you see fit. The only thing I'd caution is to NOT add any more peppers as this is plenty hot as it is.

The chef provided all sorts of helpful information and tips which I've included at the end of the recipe.

Spicy Basil Chicken (Gkai Pad Gka-prow)

2-3 Tbs. peanut oil for stir-frying 
10-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with 1/2 cup sliced onion) – optional
1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped, or cut into small bite-size pieces
12-20 Thai chillies (prik kee noo), cut into very thin rounds; or substitute 4-6 serrano, jalapeño or fresno peppers, cut into large slivers with seeds
2 small kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-gkrood), very finely slivered (optional)
2-3 tsp. black soy sauce (the semi-sweet kind), or to taste
2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam bplah), or to taste
1 cup fresh Thai holy basil (bai gka-prow), or Thai sweet basil (bai horapa) leaves and flower buds; or use 1/4 cup dried holy basil, soaked to soften plus 1/2 to 1 cup fresh Thai sweet basil (bai horapa)
Dash of ground white pepper

Prepare the ingredients as instructed. Leave the fresh basil leaves whole; the flower buds may also be used. The dried holy basil will soften when soaked in tap water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pull off and discard the hard stems. Drain.

Heat a wok until its surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface. Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat, then stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with the shallots or onion. Stir another 15 to 20 seconds before adding the chicken. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the chicken has changed color on the outside and is no longer pink.

Toss in the chillies, slivered kaffir lime leaves (if using), and softened dried holy basil (if using). Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for another 15 to 20 seconds. Season to taste with fish sauce, then stir in the fresh basil. Toss well. Stir-fry another 1/2 to 1 minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken cooked through. Sprinkle with white pepper. Stir and transfer to a serving dish, or spoon directly over individual plates of plain steamed rice.

Serves 6 to 8 with other dishes in a shared family-style meal.

This is a good and easy stir-fried dish and one of the favorites among Thai people. It is served over rice as a one-dish meal – for breakfast or for lunch, often topped with a crispy fried egg. Of course, it also appears frequently as one of the courses in a shared family-style meal.

If you are not able to find fresh holy basil, this recipe can be substituted with any fresh basil. I have also tried it with a mixture of fresh Thai sweet basil (bai horapa) and fresh mint leaves with good results.

The smaller the chicken is cut, the greater the surface area to coat with the flavors of the aromatic herbs and sauces, and the more flavorful the stir-fry will be. Some of my students have reported good results using ground turkey. In Thailand, this dish is often made with chopped pork, or bird meat, especially in fast-food, curry-rice shops (rahn kao gkaeng), where an enormous variety of dishes are prepared ahead of time and served over steaming white rice to order. When I travel in the rural areas, I often stop at such rice shops in small towns for lunch. Some of the best pad gka-prow can be had at these inconspicuous, no-frills, open-air places. They are made particularly spicy to help preserve the meat, as the dishes are prepared early in the morning and served throughout the day until they are sold out.

One of our particular favorites is to make it with ground pork and lots of Thai chillies. For pork, make sure you use holy basil (Bai Gkaprow), as it goes especially well with pork.

Try the above recipe also with fresh seafood (in this case, no need to chop) – shrimps, scallops, mussels, clams, crab and firm-flesh fish, such as fresh halibut and salmon.

Thai-Style Spicy Chicken in Lettuce Cups

This dish, also known as Larb in Laos and Thailand, is often served over lettuce, cabbage, or vegetables, with steamed sticky rice. I've most often seen it served with lettuce cups for an Asian take on tacos - in fact this is one of my favourite dishes at PF Changs.

I've wanted to try to make Larb for years but never have. Then I came upon this recipe from the folks at Fine Cooking and decided to give it a shot. I was surprised at how easy this was to pull together (I used minced lemon grass that you get in a tube, not wanting the trouble of chopping one up myself). It turned out amazing - the perfect blend of Thai flavours bouncing around in your mouth. Having had this I won't be ordering the PF Changs version again!

Oh yes, this has about 150 calories per serving - it just gets better and better!

Thai-Style Spicy Chicken in Lettuce Cups

3 Tbs. uncooked jasmine rice
3 Tbs. fish sauce
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, outer layers removed, and inner core minced (1 Tbs.)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
1-1/4 lb. ground chicken, preferably dark meat
1 medium shallot, minced (1/3 cup)
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 medium head butter lettuce, for serving

Toast the rice in an 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes (the rice will begin to smoke after a couple of minutes). Let the rice cool slightly and then grind in a spice grinder until the largest pieces resemble very coarse cornmeal; the mixture should not be completely powdery.

Combine the fish sauce, lemongrass, pepper flakes, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and bring to a simmer over high heat. Separate the chicken into large clumps and add to the pan. Cook, breaking up the chicken into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of the ground rice over the chicken and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid in the pan has thickened, about 2 minutes longer.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the shallot. Sprinkle with the lime juice, scallions, cilantro, and mint and stir gently to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the remaining ground rice. Serve with the lettuce leaves on the side to use as cups for the chicken.

Chicken Panini with Fig Jam

It's time for another Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club - that wonderful evening where 5 bloggers from around North America gather to share a virtual meal with one another. Sandi picked this month's theme: 'Dreaming of Italy'. . . something I have officially started to do now that I have two trips booked to Italy this year.

I'll have a very short trip to Bologna this summer for work - we have 36 teachers doing courses in France and Italy and I'll be popping into both to see that all is as it should be. I won't have much time there but you can bet I'll be exploring some of the wonderful foodie spots that I enjoyed so much when I was there with my friend Palma a few years ago!

My second trip is a dream I have always had - spending Christmas in Rome. . . this was the perfect year since Paul will be out of work by then we can actually go away at Christmas (Christmas vacations are not easy for folks in retail). We're renting an apartment with Palma and Brad for 2 weeks - I just paid the deposit last night so this is official! Now to find flights. LOL

See . . . dreaming of Italy is always fun!

For this theme I went simple - I made a panini - that wonderful toasted sandwich that you can pick up all over the place in Italy. Funnily, even one bought on the train tastes better than just about anything one can buy here! Now this isn't just any panini - chicken, fig jam, and blue cheese take this to a level of sophistication and deliciousness that we love!

I doubt that anyone in Italy is making a panini quite like this but let's make that a part of the dream . . . make one for yourself and share the dream!

Chicken Panini With Fig Jam

1/4 cup fig jam (I used my own, home-made fig jam)
1 (8-ounce) ciabatta,  cut lengthwise
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces sliced cooked chicken breast
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Spread jam over cut side of top half of bread. Combine cheese and butter in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Spread cheese mixture over cut side of bottom half of bread. Arrange chicken evenly over cheese mixture; sprinkle with pepper. Place top half of bread, jam side down, over chicken.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add sandwich to pan. Place a heavy cast-iron skillet on sandwich; cook 5 minutes or until both sides are browned, turning once. If you have a panini maker like we do ignore this step - simple heat up the panini grill and when it is ready pop it in. If you don't have a panini grill . . . why not?????

Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Remove top bread half from sandwich. Arrange arugula mixture over chicken. Replace top bread half. Cut sandwich into 4 equal portions

Pho Ga

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup typically made with beef. It can also be made with chicken (which is known as pho ga), or seafood. Last winter re tried a version  that was even made with leftover turkey. That recipe was inspired by the recipe Jaden posted on the Steamy Kitchen and I was determined to try her original recipe rather than one that someone had modified to suit their own preferences. I finally got around to it last weekend.

Pho had its humble beginnings nearly 100 years ago, and at that time was basically boiled beef, broth and noodles. It has since evolved into much more than that. During the war in Viet Nam, when beef became scarce, a pork version (pho lon) evolved.

The combination of both French and Chinese occupation has led to a diverse, unique cuisine that is admired by many. When the Vietnamese fled to the US in 1975, they brought to the United States their unique cuisine and heritage. It is how Pho was introduced to us in North America. Rest assured that it took a long time for Pho to make it across the border to Canada!

This is not a short, quick recipe; it has a long list of ingredients. It takes time. don't rush any of the steps as each contributes to building the final dish. We were amazed at how wonderful this dish was - layers and layers of flavour. Don't be afraid of the ingredients nor the steps - if you follow faithfully this will be one of the best soups you'll ever eat!

Pho Ga

1 whole organic chicken (4-5lbs)
1 whole onion, unpeeled and cut in half
3-inch chunk of ginger, unpeeled

(A) Broth spices
2 tbl whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 tbl sugar (or rock sugar)
2 tbl fish sauce
small bunch of cilantro stems only, tied in bunch with twine

(B) Accompaniments at table
1 lb dried rice noodles (about 1/4″ wide)
2 cups bean sprouts, washed & tails pinched off
cilantro tops – leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup shaved red onions
1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha hot sauce
Hoisin sauce
sliced chili

Place ginger and onion on a small baking sheet. The top of the onion should be about 4″ from the oven’s heating element. Set to broil on high for 15 minutes. Turn the onion and ginger occasionally, to get an even char. The skin should get dark and the onion/ginger should get soft. After cooling, rub to get the charred skin off the onion and use a butter knife to scrape the skin off the ginger. Slice ginger into thick slices.

In a large stockpot, fill with water and boil. With a sharp cleaver, carve the chicken breast meat off and reserve. With the rest of chicken whacking hard through the bones to get sections about 3″ big. The more bone that is exposed, the more marrow that gets in the broth (translation: rich, flavorful). You can even whack several places along the bone just to expose more marrow. When the water boils, add chicken sections (not breast) and boil on high for 5 minutes. You’ll see lots of foam and “stuff’ come up to the surface. Drain, rinse your chicken of the scum and wash your pot thoroughly. Refill with about 4 quarts of clean, cold water.

Add chicken, chicken breast meat, onion, ginger and all of (A) in the pot and cover. Turn heat to high – let it come to boil, then immediately turn heat to low. Prop lid up so that steam can escape. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts, shred with your fingers when cooled and set aside (you’ll serve shredded chicken breast with the finished soup). With a large spoon, skim the surface of any impurities in the broth. Skimming every 20 minutes ensures a clear broth. Simmer a total of 1-1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce and or sugar.

Strain the broth, discard solids. Prepare noodles as per directions on package. Ladle broth, add shredded chicken breast and soft noodles in each bowl. Have (B) ingredients set at table for each person to add to their bowl.

Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce

Last night's dinner was one of the best that we have experienced around here in a LONG time. Paul cooked a recipe we've been meaning to try for months from the wonderful folks Cooking Light. It was a bit of  shock that he was making this recipe since the word mustard appears in the title - Paul is mustard phobic. If I put a bit of mustard on his sandwich I am accused of making him a mustard sandwich.

It was a bit of a shock that it was made for other reasons. The first time we tried to make it the brussels sprouts had gone icky (no other word will convey the mash of rotting sprouts we discovered in the veggie keeper). Last night we had a fresh supply of sprouts. We didn't have flat leaf parsley so Paul sent me out to get some. As I left I said "I'm getting flat leaf parsley - is there anything else that we need?'

"No."

Later when I returned and put the parsley on the counter he asked 'didn't you get the apple cider?'

Apparently I was speaking a bizarre language when I asked if there was anything else that was needed!

Anyway. Off I went and returned with the cider.

Dinner was on the table quickly and the taste was out of this world. The recipe suggested serving the chicken and sprouts with roasted rosemary potatoes. Good advice as they rounded out the flavours very well. The finished dish reminded me of classic French Bistro cooking - sophisticated, yet simple and wholly satisfying!

Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve sprouts with chicken and sauce.

Thai Chicken Sauté

Let me start with this right at the beginning - I have no idea why this is called a Thai chicken saute other than the fact that it uses some common ingredients found in the Thai pantry. This is where the similarity ends. The flavour, while wonderful  . . . don't get me wrong . . ., wasn't particularly 'Thai' IMHO.

Paul whipped this up for dinner the other night (learning for the 30th time that when making a stir fry one should have everything measured out and prepped in advance) and we were both pleased with the result. We had the leftovers for lunch today and they were even better.

There are some who might find this to be too spicy - you can cut back on the sriracha sauce for them. We actually added a bit more than what was called for in the recipe and it was just fine . . . mind you, with these deadly colds we both have we might just be immune to the red heat!

When we make this one again I think we'll added some additional veggies to the mix - bell pepper, bok choy, snap peas, or broccoli to give some added colour, crunch, and vitamins.

Thai Chicken Sauté

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag rice (note - we used leftover rice that we had in the freezer)
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 cup sliced onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Keep warm.

Toss chicken with cornstarch and fish sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until done. Stir in coconut milk, Sriracha, sugar, and juice; cook 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Serve chicken mixture over rice with lime wedges.

Mexican Chicken Pozole Verde

Chicken pozole is a hearty Mexican stew made with chicken (duh) and hominy. Hominy is dried white or yellow corn kernels from which the hull and germ have been removed. This process is done either mechanically or chemically by soaking the corn in slaked lime or lye. Hominy is sold canned, ready-to-eat or dried (which must be reconstituted before using). I've seen lots of recipes for making your own (involving lots of lye and a caustic process) it looks complicated so we buy it canned when we're across the border. Perhaps you can find it here in Canada . . . we've yet to find it.

There are many variations on pozole, a traditional hominy-based Mexican stew closely associated with the Pacific-coast state of Guerrero. Anya von Bremzen's, version, a green pozole, derives much of its flavor from tangy ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro and green chiles. I foudn this recipe on the Food and Wine site and printed it off - almost thee years later, as a aprt of my desire to work through all of those flipping things I keep printing off, I finally got around to making it!!!

It's a shame that I waited so long because this was very good. We loved the warm spice and the wonderful citrus hints from the tomatillos and cilantro. I could eat food like this every day. Very flavorful, hearty and healthy.

Mexican Chicken Pozole Verde

7 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 cups water
4 chicken breast halves on the bone, with skin
1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
1 small onion, quartered
2 poblano chiles—cored, seeded and quartered
2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Three 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained
Finely shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped onion, diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges, for serving

In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, cover and simmer over very low heat until they're tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and shred the meat; discard the bones and skin. Skim any fat from the cooking liquid and reserve.

In a blender, combine the halved tomatillos with the quartered onion, poblanos and jalapeños, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the side. With the machine on, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.

In a large deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.

Pour the green sauce into the cooking liquid in the casserole. Add the hominy and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the shredded chicken to the stew, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through. Serve the pozole in deep bowls, passing the lettuce, radishes, onion, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges at the table.

Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Olive Relish

Others have written about the November Cooking Light magazine - page for page there were more recipes in it that looked interesting than just about any other magazine I've seen for years. So many that I am still working my way through them long after I would have normally moved on to other things. Last night's dinner was an example.

This was one of their series of quick recipes that are suitable for weeknight cooking when you get home from the office and don't really feel like doing a damn thing other than ordering in a pizza. Having a collection of these quick low-fat, low-stress recipes is ideal because they won't end up on making your jeans tight like that pizza will! All it takes is some planning to have everything on hand and you're good to go.

Now this recipe did take a bit longer for me because of the size of the chicken breasts - apparently those birds were on steroids. The recipe calls for 6 minutes per side in a grill pan. i'd be serving raw chicken at that point because the centres were VERY pink. I covered the grill pan in foil and baked them until cooked - the down side was that my lovely grilled marks sort of vanished in the oven. sigh - aesthetics vs food poisoning. A tough choice kids.

Giant chicken breasts aside, the recipe was easy to follow and we were both quite impressed with the results. The simple olive-tomato relish would work in so many other preparations - I'm thinking grilled fish - and adds a wee burst of summer which can't go unappreciated in the dead of winter.

Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Olive Relish

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup chopped pitted olives

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, basil, and vinegar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cherry tomatoes and olives; toss to coat. Serve relish with chicken.

Chicken Stew with Pumpkin

I found this recipe on the Cooking Light sight a few months ago when  was looking for a recipe for the October Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. I was randomly searching the Cooking Light site with Hallowe'en terms and when I searched with pumpkin this recipe popped up. While it intrigued me I ended up going with the Dracula's Revenge casserole (what isn't to love about a dish containing 2 entire heads of garlic?).

I printed off the chicken stew recipe and bought the ingredients. For one reason or another it never got made. I decided to correct that last friday - after Black Friday shopping I figured I'd need some rather bracing to get me going again. While it is called a stew it really is a yellow Thai curry. t came together quickly and we LOVED it. Happily there are three containers in the freezer for when I need another 'pick-me-up'.

Chicken Stew with Pumpkin

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 cups sliced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin or other winter squash (such as acorn)
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the chicken, and sauté for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove the chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining chicken; set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (onion through garlic); sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, water, and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until heated. Stir in cilantro; serve over rice.

Roast Chicken with Fennel Stuffing

For some reason I was craving roast chicken. It may have been the hoopla going on about Thanksgiving south of the border. It may have been the fact that we missed our Thanksgiving while we were in Italy. It may have been the fact that I unearthed two large roasting chickens when I defrosted the freezer the other day. Who can tell?

All I knew was that I craved some sort of roasted poultry and it would be even better if it had stuffing.

Paul cooked last night and it fell to him to roast that bird thereby making me a happy guy.

We found this recipe on the Taste of Home website. I was sold when I saw that the primary ingredient in the stuffing was fennel. YUM

He was a little intimidated by roasting a chicken - roasting not being an area of cooking with which he has much experience. nonetheless he agreed to have a go with some help - and have a go he did. The end result was absolutely delicious!

Roast Chicken with Fennel Stuffing

1 fennel bulb, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, divided
5 cups unseasoned stuffing cubes
1-1/2 cups chicken broth1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme1 teaspoon rubbed sage1 teaspoon salt, divided3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 roasting chicken (7 to 8 pounds)

In a large skillet, saute fennel and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Place in a large bowl. Stir in the stuffing cubes, broth, thyme, sage, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Just before baking, loosely stuff chicken with 3 cups stuffing. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; refrigerate until ready to bake.

Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Melt remaining butter; brush over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 2-3/4 to 3-1/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180° for chicken and 165° for stuffing.

Bake additional stuffing, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cover chicken and let stand for 10 minutes before removing stuffing and carving. Yield: 6 servings (6 cups stuffing).