Sometimes I feel like I've been playing catch up. When your life stops it takes awhile to catch up and that is what I'm doing. My life had been on hold for various reasons, some of which had to do with Manservant's travels and lack of work, or too much work. Last year began my time of catch up, which I was more than ready to do. I could wax poetic on this, but my mantra to all girls just starting out is to always keep your foot in the door. Trust me, I learned the hard way. But rather than dwelling on the past, let's move into the present and let me tell you about why we are even talking about "catch up".
Trust me, I have bought very few cookbooks in the last 10 years. Luckily, I have many cookbooks and the library has been a great resource, too. In the last ten years those two have kept me fed, so to speak! The truth is I love cookbooks. I devour them like novels.I sleep with them by my bed. In my opinion, one can never have too many cookbooks. If you are ever wondering what to buy me, well, flowers and cookbooks will suffice!
And so it is I found myself facing "Ottolenghi" at dinnertime. On a cold winter night. In a cold house. It was snowing outside. I was hungry for more than a PB and J! Have I set the scene properly? So I opened the book to the middle. Truly, the page I opened to is page 123 and there are only like 283 pages in the book, so that is about the middle, isn't it? This recipe, roast chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey, was on that page. And on the opposing page is another chicken recipe with za'atar that I am dying to make, too!
Well, this roast chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey, rocks! It will knock your socks off. It will send people running from all avenues of your home to see what you are making. It is special. It is simple. It is worth waiting 10 years for, when I could have made it way back in 2008, when this cookbook was published! My intuition tells me you will love it. But my intuition also tells me that you may wonder about this odd sort of ingredients that aren't very American, so to speak. To this I say, "It is the new year. Time to try new things. Escape your box. Live a little. Catch up. And trust me!" I have great intuition!
Recipe
Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey and Playing Catch Up!
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Total Time: 65 Minutes
- Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Israeli
Description
Ingredients
1 chicken, divided into pieces or quarters
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 T olive oil
1 t ground ginger or a few gratings of fresh
1 t ground cinnamon
a generous pinch of saffron threads
Juice of 1 lemon
4 T cold water
Instructions
Notes
From: Yotam Ottolenghi - "Ottolenghi, The Cookbook
dentistvschef says
Everything fancy and delicious with saffron!!!
Anna and Liz Recipes says
Hi abbe! We hear ya- we are doing the same here! This chicken dish does ROCK! And we wish you a blessed 2015!
xoxo Anna and Liz
Jayanthi Sindhiya says
Lovely combo in chicken,looks delicious
Carol at Wild Goose Teacw says
Good advice about keeping foot in door. Good Heavens what a build up for a recipe. It was a real page turner. AND I was not disappointed with the ending. Ha. What a boat load of spices and wow it looks delectable. I love cookbooks too, but I have had to cut myself off. Yes, thank heavens for the library so that you can fondle and read the new ones.
Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself says
What a mouthwatering combination, saffron and hazelnuts must give a nutty delicious to the crispy chicken!
Must try this for my brother 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Ansh says
Love Ottolenghi. This Christmas I bought his new book Plenty More for my friend and she has been thrilled with it. Hope you are having a delicious New Year, Abbe.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
This looks delicious Abbe. I have that cookbook and can you believe I've never made anything from it? And hardly looked at it???? I need to put it on the "2014 DO IT" list. Happy 2015! Let's make it a delicious one .. between you and me we have enough cookbooks to do so.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Given a choice between PB&J and this absolutely gorgeous chicken dish, I think I'd go with the chicken. It looks amazing!
Susan says
This really sounds amazing, Abbe, I love saffron. He really puts such interesting combinations together, I share your enthusiasm for bedtime reading 🙂
Cheri Savory Spoon says
I love Yotam and his recipes. Beautiful dish Abbe!
Bam's Kitchen says
Lovely ingredient list so you know this has got to taste amazing and it looks amazing too. I know I have this problem many times as I usually never take photos the first time I make something as I need to work on the recipe and make changes as I go along and oh yes that whole measuring thing too. Sometimes I have the best lighting on the first time I make something and then the next time I go to make the dish I have the worst lighting day. It is always my luck. Great dish!
Angie Schneider says
Saffron and rosewater...wow this roasted chicken looks so exotic and packed with flavours, Abbe.
Kitchen Riffs says
This looks wonderful! And I actually have all the ingredients on hand except for the green onions. And the chicken. 😉 So I guess that means I need to get chicken, right? I think it does! Really nice -- thanks.
Liz Berg says
Oh, boy, with that endorsement, I know this has to be amazing! I've been eyeing his cookbooks, too---might be time to splurge!