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This week I received a review copy of culinary legend Dorie Greenspan’s new cookbook release, Around My French Table. As soon as I spied the front cover I began to drool, and knew immediately that should I make it to round four of Project Food Blog that this would be the recipe I would choose for my post. Tasked with documenting (through photos) a recipe that instructs readers in a step-by-step format, I wanted to create something that was visually interesting and made people want to leap into their kitchens and make it for themselves. I’m happy to say that I did advance to round four (thanks for all the support!), and that I did make the cover recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s book. Only thing left is to find out if my post is inspiring enough to have you try the recipe!

The recipe pictured on the cover was for chicken in a pot (click here for the recipe). The whole concept of cooking a chicken in a casserole dish sealed tight with a flour and water dough mixture placed around the edges of a Dutch oven, was a technique I had never seen before let alone attempted. I was intrigued!

First order of business – preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

While oven is preheating, peel half of a preserved lemon. This proved to be embarrassingly challenging and in the end I had to resort to brute force in order to pop the lemon out of the jar. NOTE: a preserved lemon (or citrons confits) is a Moroccan and Middle Eastern specialty, and involves making deep slits into lemons which are subsequently marinated in a brine of salt and lemon juice for a minimum of three weeks.

Chop the lemon rind into small pieces. Next, bring water and sugar mixture to a boil and add the lemon peel. Cook for 1 minute; drain and set aside.

Okay now it’s time to prep all that veg!

This includes chopping celery into 1 inch pieces…

…separating (but not peeling) 4 heads of garlic…

…and peeling 16 mini white onions. Yes – peeling those lil’ itty bitty onions are just as much of a pain as it looks! But they are definitely worth the effort as they become lovely and caramelized and just pop in your mouth.

Next, peel and slice carrots and yams into equal sized chunks, approximately 2 inches.

Whew – veggies are prepped and ready to go!

Sauté vegetables in Dutch oven over high heat until starting to brown. I found it useful to do this in two batches which was more time consuming but ensured all veggies browned nicely.

Remove vegetables from the heat and stir in herbs and reserved lemon peel.

Heat a skillet over high heat and add the chicken, browning on all sides and seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks. I used a pair of tongs to turn the chicken which worked quite well.

Nestle the browned chicken in the Dutch oven, surrounding it with the vegetables. Mix together the chicken broth, white wine and olive oil mixture and pour over the chicken and veggies. Set aside.

Mix the flour and hot water to make a pliable dough.

Using your hands, roll the dough on flour dusted surface into a rope that is long enough to go around the entire rim of the Dutch oven. If the dough breaks, simple press back together.

Press lid into dough to seal the pot. Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes. NOTE: being sceptical that a chicken this large (4 lbs) could cook in such a short period of time, I left it for longer and the chicken turned out to be overdone. Luckily the sealed pot technique kept the meat moist, but the bottom line here folks is to trust Dorie. She knows what she’s talking about!

Okay at this point it is important to do three things:

First, arrange for take-out food for the kids because earlier in the day you decided to take them to the pumpkin patch and didn’t get home till much later than planned and apparently an hour is just too long for them to wait.

Next, clean up the disaster in the kitchen. If you have no mess to clean up because you are one of those people who are always annoyingly vigilant about cleaning up as you go, kindly keep this information to yourself.

Now take the remainder of the white wine and pour yourself a nice big glass. It’s well deserved!

And finally, be sure to take a moment to put your feet up and relax. Gotta love recipes that allow for some downtime!

Once the chicken is done, Dorie recommends using a screwdriver to help pry the lid free. However, I found the lid lifted easily on its own. Be careful not to get burnt by the steam when breaking the seal, and be prepared for intoxicating smells to waft through your kitchen. No need to sound the dinner bell…they will all come running to the table!

We carved the chicken in the kitchen and brought the pot of vegetables to the table, sopping up the delicious sauce with chunks of fresh bread.

This meal is the epitome of comfort food. The simple flavours let the ingredients speak for themselves, the casual nature of the meal allowing guests to connect with their food in a true spirit of togetherness and camaraderie.

Simple. Tasty. Perfect.

In celebration of CookThatBook’s one year anniversary, next week I will be giving away a copy of Dorie Greenspan’s “Around My French Table” to one lucky reader! Stay tuned for more details. Book courtesy of Thomas Allen & Son, Ltd.

Follow Project Food Blog for contest updates and to find out who will be the next Food Blog Star! Voting for the fourth round is from October 11-14. (NOTE: you will need to create a Foodbuzz profile in order to vote. This just takes a minute so please don’t be deterred!)

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Dear Martha,

I’m sorry you were unable to join us for dinner this past weekend. We even set a place for you at the table in case you managed to show up last minute. Not to rub it in or anything, but boy did you miss out!

Recognize the place card?! We downloaded one of the clever little templates you have up on your website!

The theme for the night was Greek. When devising the night’s menu I wanted to ensure that people were not thrown entirely out of their culinary comfort zone, but that they were still given an opportunity to experience some unfamiliar flavours and dishes. This is partially the reason why I opted for Greek cuisine, as most people have tried at least some aspect of this type of food yet it still left me with room to expand the scope of dishes served and include some lesser known items.

Here’s what was on our menu for the evening:

To start the night off with a bang; saaaaannnnngriiiaaaaa! Everyone brought a bottle of red wine to go into the communal sangria bowl, which was a fun way for people to contribute to the festivities. (For a copy of Mr. Spock’s Winter Sangria, click here).

To be honest, the beginning of a meal is my favourite part and sets the tone for the evening. I try to include food that is not fussy, tastes delicious and needs to be eaten with your hands. I remember reading in one of your magazine issues that starting off the night with finger food is a good way to have people really connect with their food. Couldn’t agree more!

There was a nice variety of appetizers, including Roasted Feta with Olives & Red Peppers, Garides Saganaki (shrimp with tomatoes & feta), Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), Spanakopita & Tzatziki (Traditional Greek Spinach & Feta Cheese Pie), along with an assortment of crackers, grilled pita & Greek olives. (NOTE: to view individual recipes please click on each dish).

Dolmades were the one thing I was unsure about, yet they ended up being the most beloved item of the night. These little guys had so much life compared to the slimy, tasteless deli prepared offerings we’ve had in the past! Have you ever made Dolmades? Perhaps we could swap recipes some time…

The whole idea of connecting with the food was continued by adopting a casual, family-style approach of dinning. Just because you’re throwing a luxury dinner party doesn’t mean you need to necessarily eat in an overly stuffy manner with the correct fork at the correct time. It is important to me that my guests feel relaxed and have an opportunity to take pleasure in the food!

So what did we serve as the main? You’ll kick yourself for not making more of an effort to join us when you hear that Mr. Spock served up a glorious – and you know I don’t use that word lightly when referring to food – Rotisserie Oregano-Crusted Leg of Lamb (click here for the recipe). It was absolutely heavenly, roasted to perfection and full of flavour. He chose to use a bone-in leg of lamb, which he deboned and marinated overnight. The next afternoon my handy hubby trussed the meat back around the bone and slow cooked it on the rotisserie. To go with the lamb I served Roasted Greek Potatoes and a Greek Salad, both of which were incredibly tasty (click here for the recipes).

To finish the meal we enjoyed a delicious Mediterranean Almond Cake served with Amaretto Cream, a nice dessert which was not overly sweet. The best part? Leftover cake which we devoured for breakfast the next day!

As the ‘queen of entertaining’ I’m sure you have an infinite number of hosting tips, but here’s a list of the things that I found useful while executing my dinner party:

• Wear comfy shoes – never ever underestimate the crippling power of uncomfortable shoes. Footwear can make or break your evening as a host!
• Prep! Prep! Prep! I tried to make as much food as possible ahead of time so I wouldn’t be stuck slaving away at the stove all night. Your guests are here to socialize with you and should not have to endure your absence while you toil away out of sight, nor should they have to smell the results of all that toiling! (NOTE: The night before the party Mr. Spock marinated the lamb while I made the Spanakopita and Mediterranean Almond Cake. The next morning was dedicated to making the Dolmades and prepping the shrimp for the Garides Saganaki, leaving as little food prep as possible for after the guests arrived).
• Don’t be afraid to delegate. Okay so this is something that my inner control freak always struggles with, but in the end I realize that as much as I might think I have superpowers I am not a culinary immortal like you. Most guests are keen to help!
• Wear an apron and avoid browning potatoes in hot oil while sporting a new silk dress. I had to learn this tip the hard way.
• Clean up as you go. This is how I stay sane during the unavoidable craze of cooking a large meal.
• If you are limited on kitchen space try and use a BBQ or rotisserie in order to free up as much oven space as possible. Another option is to convince your gracious in-laws to let you throw your dinner party at their house!

Anyways my dear friend, this letter ended up being much longer than I had originally anticipated. Everyone sends their love and wishes you had been able to partake in the weekend’s festivities.

Hope to catch up with you soon!
Stay-At-Home-Chef

Follow Project Food Blog for contest updates and to find out who will be the next Food Blog Star! Voting for the third round is from October 4-7. (NOTE: you will need to create a Foodbuzz profile in order to vote. This just takes a minute so please don’t be deterred!)