Buttermilk chicken by Nigella Lawson

23/11/2007



The domestic demi-goddess has conquered another hurdle on the path to goddishness. I've spatchcocked my first chicken. It felt like playing 'operation' all over again... I'll admit to being squeamish about anything that involves cutting through bones, delving into innards, etc. As you can see, I would have failed miserably in the butcher's business.

But voilà: two spatchcocked chickens are now comfortably resting in their olive oil-garlic-maple syrup-maldon salt-crushed black peppercorns-buttermilk and rosemary marinade thanks to Nigella Lawson. Hopefully they will provide a bunch of hungry lunch guests with a good lunch in combination with some butternut squash and cinnamon mash (it's the light version of the Thanksgiving turkey fiesta, as Turkey Day is X-mas here and our poor turkey is still being raised somewhere in the green pastures of Ireland).

Will report back on the outcome of this extravaganza. But as for preparation, this is an easy one.

Update 1: have had to wash my hands three times already since I keep on smelling olive oil on my wrists, every time I lift my cup of coffee (did you know by the way that vanilla syrup is an excellent way to agrement a dull coffee?).

Update 2: they loved it. Only one drumstick left. The chooks were devoured in no time at all. The meat was moist and succulent, the skin fried to a perfect crisp; the buttermilk was in fact hardly discernible, while the maple came through, as well as the garlic, pepper and rosemary. Definitely a recommend here!

5 messages:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a nice dish you've prepared! You're braver than me. I'm OK with most meat but I really dislike handling chicken for some reason. I also eat very little of it though do eat it when others prepare it (and I know the provenance is good).

Tonight I went to my favourite fish and chip shop (one of the top 3 FNC places in London, apparently, which I could certainly believe). Haddock + chips + mushy peas = seventh heaven. Beautifully done and overflowing with 'comfort food mmmmmmmmmmness'.

Misgrace said...

Same here! There's something about the way chicken goes bad, unlike other meats... and the diseases that surround it. All our food is organic, by choice.

I'd love the address of that, if I may. Our next trip is a family meet in Hythe, possibly next weekend, but I'm going to try and come up to London in Jan. for various things (books, clothes, Starbucks fix, toys, family, not necessarily in that order).

Anonymous said...

No problem, it's here:
http://www.olleys.info/

It's in Herne Hill, which is zone 2, 8 minutes south of central London by train. I'm not sure if there are any this good in central London though. The good thing is that as well as take-away, there's a sit-down diner in it too.

Misgrace said...

Thanks! It's a bit on the other side of London, I gather. We usually come up from Richmond/Hammersmith direction while Herne Hill is to the south?

Anonymous said...

Yeh, it's exactly due south of Victoria. Sounds like it may not be en-route. I'll see if I can find any others further to the W of London.

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