Next up…Chicken

Day 54

I’ve been quiet for a while. A week actually. There just hasn’t been much to report.  There still isn’t much to report, but I worry if I put off writing much longer I won’t come back to it at all or at least not for a long time.  So here we are.

There is one week left of the school year. We’ve wrapped up many of the assignments that needed to be completed before the end of the year.  Next week we need to go drop off the school’s books that we have in our possession, and pick up Arden’s belongings. We likely won’t have occasion to go back to that particular school building.  The elementary school Arden attends goes through 4th grade and then the students move to the middle school in another town for 5th grade. One of the little quirky things about living in such a rural school districts is that the school buildings are spread out into different towns. So now that 4th grade is over, we say good bye to New Boston Elementary and hello to Mercer County Intermediate School – I guess, maybe. If school happens in the fall.  Honestly, I have no idea what will happen.  So, so many changes!

This has been an unique year to say the least. We’ve all walked through big changes – new home, new school, new friends, new locations, new routines. And then COVID. It gets really overwhelming to think about all the changes and losses that have happened in just the last few months. It is a lot.  I will say that Arden has done so well academically this year.  She’s worked very hard and things that seemed to be so illusive last year have clicked into place this year. She still has many challenges academically, but I’m thrilled with the progress she has made to date. I am hopeful that the disruptions of this last part of the school year will not cause a backwards slide in this progression.  This is a worry I can’t allow myself to sit in for long, because there is just no way to know what the long-term impact of this time away from school will be. One day at a time. That’s all we can do.

Other than wrapping up home school for the summer, I’ve been thinking I should be recording somethings that are enjoyable or are bringing satisfaction during this time. It is hard to find a lot, but here are few things that have made me happy lately.

I made this recipe yesterday.  It was delicious and easy. Arden tried it and said it wasn’t the worst thing she ever ate. So, take that as endorsement if you are so inclined.

BUTTERMILK BRINED CHICKEN FROM SALT, FAT, ACID HEAT

yield: 6

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 1 HOUR

additional time: 30 MINUTES

total time: 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES

Samin Nasrat’s Buttermilk Brined Chicken from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

4.6 Stars (10 Reviews)

PRINT

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken *note below
• 1 cup Kosher salt + 2 TB
• 2 cups buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS

BRINE CHICKEN.

1. Remove giblets and wingtips from chicken. Season VERY liberally with kosher salt, rubbing on all sides and in crevices.
2. Let chicken sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Stir 2 tablespoons of kosher salt into buttermilk.
4. After 30 minutes, put chicken in gallon ziploc bag with buttermilk brine mixture. Move bag to distribute brine to cover the chicken.
5. Place bag in a baking dish (in case of leaks or spills) and into the refrigerator.
6. Allow to marinate at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours.

COOK CHICKEN.

1. Remove the chicken in brine from refrigerator; let sit an hour at room temperature.
2. Meanwhile position a rack in center oven; preheat to 425° F.
3. After 30 minutes, remove chicken from the bag, discard brine and pat excess buttermilk off of chicken with a paper towel.
4. Place chicken in 10″ cast iron skillet.
5. Place chicken in the 425˚oven with the legs pointing to rear left. Roast 20 minutes
6. Reduce heat to 400˚F; roast for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, rotate the chicken so that legs face rear right of oven.
8. Continue to roast for 30 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165˚ degrees in the thickest part between leg and breast. Chicken will be brown all over.
9. Let chicken rest at least 30 minutes before serving.

NOTES

If using fine sea salt reduce to 4 teaspoons. Do NOT used iodized salt.

I couldn’t find a whole chicken at the grocery store – it’s a mad, mad world – so I just did bone-in, skin on Chicken breasts.  I checked the internal temp at the end of step 6 and it was cooked through.  The breasts were huge (ha, ha) so we all 3 ate our fill and there are still left overs.  I served with mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, and steamed broccoli.  It was delicious.

So, that was good stuff.  Also I cleaned out the hallway linen closet and plan to reorganize the storage room that is off of the laundry room.  That’s on the agenda for today.

I’ve read 2 1/2 books in the last week.  One was good and one was horrible.  I’m reserving judgement on the one I’m currently reading.

The good….

Behind Closed Doors By B.A. Paris

The bad…(the really awful!)

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

The current (this is the 8th book in a series – I love this series so I’m sure to love this book)

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

Well, that’s about it. Hope everyone is hanging in there.

News of the Day

More than 3.8 million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and over 270,000 have died.

In the United States, there have been over 1.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. More than 75,000 Americans have died.

A record 20.5 million U.S. jobs were lost in April as the unemployment rate jumped to 14.7 percent — the highest it’s been since the Great Depression.

An aide to Vice President Mike Pence tested positive for the virus, Bloomberg News reported Friday. President Trump’s personal valet tested positive on Wednesday.

Plan of the Day

Storage room clean out. Read.

See ya soon!

Cheers!