Everytime we are in Los Angeles, we always try to see Ryan’s friend Konrad. Among many of his other redeeming qualities, one of my favorites is that Konrad is a huge foodie. He’s taken us out to some of our best meals in LA. After a while it was time for us to pay Konrad back for all of these wonderful dinners, so I decided to cook a big meal at his house. Konrad loves to eat meals out, but he only uses his kitchen to make coffee. What could I make that would wow our foodie friend without leaving a trail in his unused kitchen? A little something like this:
When I’m making a meal for someone for the first time, I tend to keep the big things familiar and give the small things my own special spin. There are fewer things more familiar than roasted chicken. It’s comfortable and inviting. I’ve mixed things up a little bit by adding persimmons to the roasted potatoes underneath. Persimmons are these funky little fruits that come around in the fall. They are small, orange, and tough. Baking or roasting them breaks them down a little, and creates a sweet compliment for the fresh thyme and rosemary in this dish. potatoes.
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or precut pieces of your choice)
2 tbs butter, room temperature
1 tbs olive oil
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 tbs fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 shallot, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes, halved
4 persimmons, cut into large, bite-sized pieces
1 large white onion, cut into thick slices
2 tbs fresh thyme, finely minced
2 tbs fresh rosemary, freshly minced
2 garlic gloves, roughly chopped
3-4 tbs olive oil, to coat
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Lay chicken in a baking dish; season well with salt and pepper.
- To make the roasting butter, combine butter and oil with orange zest and juice, thyme, paprika, and minced garlic and shallot. It should form a paste. Spread evenly over the chicken set aside.
- In roasting pan, combine the potatoes, persimmons, onion, and herbs. Toss with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer in the roasting pan.
- Lay the roasting rack on top of the potatoes. Place the chicken skin-side up on the roasting rack.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked completely through. Serve the chicken on top of the potatoes and persimmons, adding a bit of the pan juices on top of the chicken for extra flavor.
Cooking In Red Socks 