We stand in awe of dill.What other herb inspires home cooks to stand in excruciatingly hot kitchens on 100 degree days just so they can look forward to biting into crisp, delicious pickles eight weeks later?
On the other hand, we lament that this delicious fernlike herb is highly under-utilized in most kitchens.
Sure, dill is great for making pickles. But, it’s also indispensable for pairing with cheeses, adding to breads, enhancing the flavor of vegetables, and complementing the briney notes in feta cheese or seafood.
In this case, it really shines when matched with butter, garlic, and lemon to create an amazing roasted chicken.
It takes just a few basic techniques to produce a beautiful dill-scented bird with crisp, salty skin, moist breast meat, and dense, meaty dark meat. First, rubbing the exterior of the bird with seasoned butter assists in ensuring a beautiful brown crisp skin.
Slipping some of the butter under the skin of the breast helps to keep it moist and adds flavor to the otherwise mild meat. And finally, adding lemon quarters and extra dill to the cavity seasons the pan juices as they flow from the bird into the roasting pan.
This chicken is scrumptious served alongside fresh green beans and mashed potatoes for a weeknight dinner. But, leftovers make phenomenal chicken salad, so consider roasting two birds while you're at it... just to be on the safe side :)
©BURP! Where Food Happens
If you roast 1 bird, you may as well toss another one in the oven. Roast chicken is such a treat. The meat is always so tender and flavorful. Perfect for salads, as you said.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about dill being underused. I often enjoy the recipes I make with it, but don't use it very often. I always love roast chicken so I think I need to get some dill the next time I make one. Thyme and rosemary are so last week!
ReplyDeleteWe grew our own dill this year and this looks like a wonderful way to put it to good use.
ReplyDeleteYES! Although I don't know if I like dill this much. I am sorely tempted to try it though; how wrong can you go when there's lemon, garlic and roast chicken in the equation?
ReplyDeleteJust made it, not bad.
ReplyDelete