Recently as I was skimming through some of my favorite blogs, I came across one for Engagement Chicken. Just the name piqued my curiosity, 'Engagement Chicken'.
Now I've heard of grilled chicken, Bar-B-Q chicken, chicken Marsala, chicken & gravy, lemon chicken, and roasted chicken. You get the hint, pretty much any type of chicken you can make, I've heard of it. Or so I thought.
But I have never heard of Engagement Chicken. What was this chicken? Does it cause engaging conversation? Is it a recipe that marries with another, hence the name 'Engagement Chicken'? I had no idea what this recipe was so I had to google it since the article didn't go into detail what the story was behind the name, ' Engagement Chicken'.
It seems a few years back, an editor at Glamour magazine brought in a recipe to be published for Roasted Chicken. A few days later, one of the girls in the office made this recipe for her boyfriend and a few months later they got engaged. A couple other girls in the office did the same for their boyfriends and a few months later, they too, became engaged.
After this, the recipe got its nickname, Engagement Chicken. In the years that followed, some 70 couples have become engaged after eating this recipe. I don't know what makes this particular recipe of chicken, one that causes men to propose marriage to their girlfriends.
It's a simple recipe that seasons the chicken with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It does call for three lemons to be placed into the cavity of the chicken for an extra lemony flavor.
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| All dressed up & ready to go! |
All I have to say, is if anyone can shove three lemons into the cavity of a chicken, then you best marry her because she has some organizing and packing skills! Which means when you plan your beach vacation together, she will be able to fit everything from the ice chest, the kids boogie boards, the beach umbrella, the kids, the dog, and you all into your minivan with room to spare.
Much unlike me, who is only able to fit one lemon and half of a quartered onion into the chicken cavity. I will probably be the one in the packed minivan, umbrella hanging out the side window, who leaves you standing on the curb, with your 12 pack of beer, waving as me and the kids take off for the beach together because I couldn't fit everything into the minivan!
Obviously I don't have organizing and packing skills because I cannot fit three lemons into a chicken cavity! However, I can cook and bake and I can make a darn good Engagement Chicken. Even though it is missing two lemons.
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| Really, how am I supposed to fit 3 whole lemons in there? |
By the way, the bright yellow sauce surrounding your chicken is referred to as "marry me juice". It's the sauce that's supposed to "seal the deal". And even though my sauce was lacking two lemons, I'm pretty darn sure it would still seal the deal. Even though my organizing and packing skills need a little more work.
Hmm, could this be why I'm single?
I've got to work on stuffing that chicken with three lemons!
Engagement Chicken
A simple, yet elegant, chicken that will have your man proposing to you.
Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: 1 to 2 hours, depending on size of chicken
Total time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 3 whole lemons, washed & rinsed well
- 1/2 yellow onion, quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- salt & pepper to taste
- Position rack on oven to accommodate a whole chicken in a roasting pan.
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Remove giblets from the chicken cavity and rinse chicken cavity and outside of chicken with cool water. Place chicken in a colander and let cavity drain for 1 minute.
- Place chicken breast side down in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the whole chicken.
- Brush entire outside of chicken with olive oil.
- Place chicken back into roasting pan, breast side down.
- Make small cuts in the whole lemons. Best way to do this is insert a sharp knife into the lemon, making about 4 to 5 small cuts around the lemon. Cut off stem of lemon.
- Shove 3 whole lemons into the cavity of the chicken (there's no better way to describe this step as you will be shoving those lemons in there).
- Place quartered onion and 1 sprig of rosemary into the chicken cavity with the lemons.
- If you prefer, you can tie the legs of the chicken together. Just be sure to use oven-proof ties or they will burn, melt onto your chicken, or catch fire. Just sayin'
- Pour chicken broth and 1 cup lemon juice over chicken.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place a few rosemary leaves over the top of your chicken.
- Place into oven for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- After 15 minutes, remove chicken from oven and using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn chicken over, breast side up. I covered my chicken at this time because I wanted juicy meat. So you can either cover now for remaining cooking time, or cook as the original recipe states, uncovered.
- Depending how large a chicken you are roasting, cooking time can take anywhere from 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2 hours or more. The basic rule is to cook approximately 18 to 20 minutes for every pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.
- If you're using a meat thermometer, cook until temperature reaches 180F degrees and juices run clear.
- Remove chicken from oven and let sit for 15 minutes so the juices can marry.
- Carve and serve with the "marry me juice" poured over the chicken.
Inspired by ~ Joy the Baker's 'Slight Fear of Commitment' Roasted Chicken
Shared with ~ Savoring Saturdays
