Hilltop Sunday Lunch: Roast Chicken & Couscous

 

A glorious sunny Sunday was the perfect time to wander around the garden admiring hydrangea's in their full glory as well as the impressive vegetable and herb garden. In the kitchen, Cory and Richard are preparing yet another outstanding lunch featuring two delicious recipes by Ina Garten — Roast Lemon Chicken and her fabulous Curried Couscous. With some bottles of Côtes de Provence Rosé chilling in the fridge, we all gathered at the dining room table for another outstanding meal — #6 of our Hilltop culinary journey. 

Hydrangeas in all their glory at Hilltop

The beautiful vegetable garden with tomatoes, daikon, radishes, potatoes

lettuces and and fresh herbs

Ina's sensational Curried Couscous

Ina Garten Roast Lemon Chicken with 9 cloves of garlic

Sliced Warm Baguette served with salted butter

Chilled Mimi Côtes de Provence Rosé

Lovely Roast Chicken Sunday Lunch

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook features Ina Garten's Curried Couscous

Curried Couscous
Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants, raisins or cranberries
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup small-diced red onion


Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Ina's 'How Easy Is That?' cookbook features her Lemon Roast Chicken

with 9 cloves of garlic

Lemon Chicken Breasts

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

1/4 cup good olive oil

3 tbsp minced garlic, about 9 cloves

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp grated lemon zest, about 2 lemons

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on, about 6 to 8 ounces each

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.