Happy Black Friday!

          Hey! Remember me?  No, I haven't died.  I've just been really busy.  Or, when I'm not busy, I'm recovering!  Things are starting to look up for my little family again.  Several months ago, a flood hit our area.  My partner lost her job because of it.  Really, it's not so bad compared to everyone else (my heart goes out to those who lost their homes), but it was enough of a blow for me to put the blog on the back-burner.
          Kana has a new job now and I'm on my way to a better one now, so I'm actually in the mood once again to share with the world! So, to start things off, I want to give everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving and to congratulate everyone on their Black Friday spoils.  I hope no one died this year.

          I'd like to talk about chickens.  Yes, Turkeys are traditional, but I don't like turkey so I cooked game hens this year! In my opinion, they were way better!

Not a whole lot, but it was just the three of us!

          The hens were cooked using la méthode Robuchon, which I picked up from Pim Techamuanvivit's book.  I swear, I will never cook a bird any other way after having used this method.  So, instead of sharing a recipe, I'd like to share the method.  It's simple, but oh so effective at making your chicken deliciously juicy.
         

la méthode Robuchon

          

          The method really has nothing to do with how you season the bird.  It's all about how you roast it.  Here's how I use it:

Have oven preheated to the right temperature for your size bird. (for my two hens, I had it at 350)

1) Remove the giblets and set them aside.  You can use those for in the gravy later. Then run the bird under cold water.  Wash it inside and out and then pat dry with paper towels. 

2) Using very soft butter, give the bird a nice rub down, coating the whole outside with the butter and massaging it into the skin.

3) Melt about a tablespoon or two of butter in a small bowl and add the herbs you want to use.  I tossed in a liberal amount (at least a tablespoon each) of garlic salt, thyme, onion powder, pepper, and rosemary and stirred it all up.  Then, rub the paste into the butter coated bird.  Go ahead and sprinkle some salt  and pepper inside the bird as well.

4) Stuff the bird well. I used prepared Stovetop stuffing, but feel free to experiment with whatever you like.

5) Here's where the la méthode Robuchon comes into play.  Truss your chicken by tying cooking string around the wings to hold them tightly to the body and then use another string to tie the legs together.  Then place it in the roasting pan on its side, resting on one thigh.  Roast for about 30 minutes.

6) After 30 minutes, rotate the chicken to the other side and pop in for another 30 minutes. Then, turn breast side up and roast until the chicken has been cooked to 165f.

7) Once the chicken has been cooked, remove from the oven and place on a large plate with the tail in the air.  Prop the bird upright, so it wont fall over, and cover with aluminum foil.  Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes so the juices run down to the breasts.  

And there you have it:  la méthode Robuchon.  Try it - love it.  Happy Holidays!