Friday, August 28, 2009

8/28/09 Gruyere what?

What's for dinner tonight? Oven-Glazed Apple Lemon Chicken with Cordon Bleu Potatoes and Fresh Asparagus

So, tonight I am attempted to roast a chicken in the oven with a glaze and create au gratin style French potatoes! Well, let me tell you this was an ambitious undertaking for this sub-amateur cook!

First, I had no clue what Gruyere cheese was! I was pronouncing it "Groo-yer." Well, I called my mom to ask her what kind of cheese this is and she corrected me by saying, "Groo-yaire." Ok, so I was pronouncing it like a redneck, but whatever. I managed to find the cheese in the grocery gourmet cheese section. I usually just stick to the cheap cheese section near the yogurt and milk, but I spent a little more cash this time because the potatoes looked so good on TV.

I have to admit, I do not own a roasting pan that is appropriate for glazing chicken. I have been calling my broiling pan a roasting pan for years without realizing I was wrong until tonight. Plus, the only reason I even have a broiling pan is because it comes with the oven when you buy it. Hee hee... So, you guessed it, I have now registered for a roasting pan. A big one.

This recipe called for both grated cheese and grated garlic, but not grated fingers, which is what I ended up with. I own a cheese grater! I didn't know I owned one, but I do! It must've been Prav's from before we moved in together because I have never used a grater before that I can recall. So, yay...one more thing I didn't think I had to register for. Wrong! This grater sucks. Yes, sucks. It doesn't have a nice handle like Rachael's does. It has to be held with 2 hands to stabilize it...so, where do I find the 3rd hand to grate the cheese with? Ugh...a nightmare. The grater slipped out of my hand and I ended up grating my knuckles and finger. Thank goodness there is a nurse in the house with plenty of bandage supplies leftover from forgetting to check my pockets before leaving work. LOL I did, however, have to throw away the garlic I was grating and start over. No one likes the taste of blood in their garlic...not even vampires because they don;t like garlic!

Once I had the grating under control, the rest of the preparation was rather simple. Chopping potatoes, breaking up deli meat, adding spices, mixing glaze, etc. I even had fresh apple cider to use for the glaze! Hooray...it's almost Fall, my favorite season!!!

This meal was one of my favorites so far. The potatoes were...heavenly!!! Cream, butter, and cheese...oh my! What could be bad about that? Mmmmm...sooooo good! The chicken was excellent. I really liked the glaze and it looks so pretty on the plate with a nice zesty lemon slice on top. Loved it! This one is going in the winner for dinner book!

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