Giving Thanks

by Marjan

Tradition teaches us, when the pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Rock, food was scarce. Yet the American Indians shared with the pilgrims the abundant gifts of their fertile land. Thus, Thanksgiving Day celebrates gratitude for the land, food from which it came, and the giving hearts of the American Indians who shared with the pilgrims both the land they preserved and food they had harvested. That is the true spirit of Thanksgiving! Interesting how most people associate the ‘thankful’ celebration of Thanksgiving, and focus less on the ‘giving’.



In most places around the world, many people focus on fewer reasons to be thankful or giving during these tough economic crises, wars, and famine. Here in the United States, emphasis has been placed more on preparing Thanksgiving dinner, eating, and perhaps a few thankful words to complete the celebration. So what if the focus became ‘giving’? Taking the focus off of ‘those things that I am thankful for’ and placing it on ‘giving those things in which I can’.


On a lighter note, for me, what I can give to you is my official savorychick pardon of using a chicken vs. turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner! A turkey is fantastic if you are serving a large number of guests. But let’s face it, most people are gathering for the traditional dinner in smaller groups. And the truth we all know and have openly admitted to, who likes turkey? If you’re like my family, we prefer the taste of chicken and it is small enough to serve my gathering of 4-5 people. Who needs to deal with the side effects of tryptophan after Thanksgiving feast and for many days to come with all the leftovers? So if you’re not entertaining a large number of people, and like the taste of chicken better than turkey, than try my recipe to Thanksgiving Chicken!


Should you be serving Turkey to a large number of people, check out our past posted recipes for Thanksgiving! Or if you are planning to fly solo this Thanksgiving, try my Cornish hen recipe! It is sure to please!And don’t forget to ‘give’ someone your essence and presence! It is the greatest gift!


Ingredients:

5lb whole chicken
Marinade:
Zest of 2 lemons, 2 limes, and 2 oranges
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
The juice of 2 lemons and 2 limes
¼ cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
**optional: Yukon potatoes chopped into bite size pieces

1. In a blender, blend the above ingredients to yield a consistent marinade incorporating well the honey (should be added last as the blender is mixing so that it does not settle on the bottom).

2. Place chicken in a 13 gallon trash bag; add the marinade to cover the entire chicken inside and out. Seal bag tightly and place in the fridge for 24 hours (occasionally shaking up the bag to ensure all surfaces of the chicken are well marinated).

3. One hour prior to roasting, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to sit in the marinade at room temperature.

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, place the marinated chicken in the center and place fresh rosemary sprigs in the stomach cavity. Rub some of the marinade on the chicken and discard bag with juices. Spoon 2-3 tablespoon of virgin olive oil over the chicken. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top. Should you prefer to roast potatoes, chop them into bite size pieces, toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and lay them along the chicken. Cover chicken with foil and place in the oven on a low rack.

5. Thirty minutes later, decrease oven temperature to 400 and allow roasting for another hour. One and half hours later, remove foil and decrease oven temperature to 350 and roast for another thirty to forty minutes, until a golden crispy skin appears. Remove chicken from the oven and allow the chicken to sit for fifteen minutes prior to transferring to a serving platter and cutting.

Happy thanksGiving!

From our partner: LO+JUNE

From our partner: LO+JUNE
Artisanal French products in our Swiss fine food boutique