Roast Chicken Redux

With a resounding "What did I tell you?" from Jewish mothers throughout the world, Meghan Markle has proven that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. In case you missed it, Markle snagged her prince over a roast chicken dinner. Go girl! If hers is half as good as mine - I get it. I've posted my roast chicken recipe before. It's my absolute favorite.

The internet has gone wild with stories of the "engagement chicken," that landed her a prince, and it's hard to argue. I love roasting chicken on a Friday night for Shabbat. Jeff and I mop up the juices with a nice challah from Alon's. The aroma fills the house and lends warmth to the end of a cold, hard week. There's nothing glamorous about it - it's a just simple and elegant.

I imagine that that's how Prince Harry wanted his engagement. I'm not much of a royal watcher, but I've always been endeared to him and his on again, off again mischief. He feels like the least formal royal and thus the one who would be cool with dropping to a knee and proposing over a good roast chicken. Jeff dropped to a knee on the beach in Miami in front of my grandfather's beautiful Fontainebleau Hotel. In truth, we could have been anywhere. I didn't need the pomp. I just needed him.

I'm cheering on Meghan. The British press has scorned her for the color of her skin - neither black or white - and for the fact that she's divorced. Jeff and I are both divorced, and I'm a big fan of second chances. She's gorgeous and clearly makes him happy, so cheers to that. Cheers to love, and cheers to a good roast chicken.

I've made roast chicken dozens of times for Jeff. Each time he says it's the best he's ever had. Sometimes I toss potatoes or turnips into the pan half way through the hour-long roast. Other times I make a gravy from the drippings while the chicken rests by creating a roux with butter and flour, adding that to the pan drippings, deglazing it with white wine and then stirring in broth. And sometimes we just stand over the kitchen sink and eat it with our hands. Nothing glamorous - just simple.

Roast Chicken

Preheat oven to 500F

1 Organic Chicken

1 Preserved Lemon

Few Sprigs Rosemary

1 Head of Garlic chopped in half

2 C Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

Pepper

Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water and dry it completely with paper towels. Place a few layers of paper towels under the bird and set it on a plate breast side up. Slather the entire chicken with kosher salt. Then stuff it with preserved lemon, rosemary and garlic. Stick it in the fridge uncovered for as little as two hours but ideally overnight or up to two days. Pre-heat the oven to 500F. Take the chicken out of the fridge a half hour before you cook it and wipe off the salt. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with pepper. Then stick it in the oven and cook for one hour. Take it out and tent it in tin foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before you slice it.