Engagement Chicken

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By Cynthia Fueredi

I just got over being dateless for yet another New Year’s Eve and along comes Valentine’s Day to rub my nose in it again.

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, I should be golden because God knows I can cook, but I can’t even get one in the door to take a whiff!

If you are one of the lucky ones who has someone on the hook and hoping for a ring, or if on this Valentine’s Day you would like your partner to look at you and say lovingly, “I would marry you all over again,” read on.

There is this recipe I heard about called Engagement Chicken. The legend goes something like this: You’ve been dating this person for a number of years and you really know in your heart that this person is the one, but no sign of commitment has been forthcoming. So, what the heck, you make your sweetheart Engagement Chicken and the ring is on your finger in a month. If you don’t believe me, just Google “Engagement Chicken.” There are pages of success stories.

Trust me, if I had a live one I’d give it a whirl. What do you have to lose?

I couldn’t just give you the recipe as written; I was compelled to put my own personal tweaks to it to make it even more magical. So, try it or pass it on to a friend. And if a little velvet box becomes part of your future, please let us know.

ENGAGEMENT CHICKEN (Serves two with leftovers)

You will need:

Covered casserole or roaster just large enough to hold the chicken

Pastry brush

Kitchen string

Oven-proof serving platter

Ingredients:

One whole chicken (about 4 or 5 pounds), thawed

3 large heads of garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled

3 whole lemons, cut in half

1/2 cup olive oil

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove the packet of giblets and any visible clumps of fat from inside the cavity and discard. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Salt and pepper the cavity lightly, pour in a tablespoon of olive oil and stuff in a handful of garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and add the lemon halves. (If the lemons are sticking out of the cavity a bit it’s fine.)

Truss the chicken if you know how, or simply tie the legs together. Brush the chicken with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set breast-side up in casserole. Smash the remaining garlic cloves with the flat side of your largest knife and lay them over the chicken along with the remaining rosemary. Squeeze the rest of the lemons over the chicken and place the squeezed halves in with the bird.

Set the covered casserole in the lower third of your oven. After one hour, remove the cover and turn the heat up to 400 F and continue roasting to let the chicken brown, about half an hour, until your meat thermometer reads 180 and the juices run clear with no trace of pink when you prick the thigh with a fork.

Remove the chicken to a serving platter, cut off the strings and return the chicken to the TURNED OFF oven, leaving the door ajar.

Drain the juices from the casserole through a sieve into a small pan. Using a ladle, push the garlic through to extract its juices and discard the solids. Skim off any fat from the surface and keep warm over low heat.

Remove chicken from oven and arrange potatoes and vegetables around the bird. Drizzle all around with some of the sauce. Pour the rest into a serving dish or sauceboat if you have one. This is the “marry me juice,” so don’t forget it.

Present the platter to your candle-lit table for carving and start the countdown. Good luck to you!