I have a really bad habit of eating late at night. Well, I’m a night owl so you can’t really blame me. One day I’ll kick this bad habit and learn to appreciate being a morning person.
That being said, I also like cooking late because it is like a form of meditation for me. Piecing ingredients together from the fridge is the best kind of cognitive activity. Preparing ahead of time to cook later at night is even better.
This dish – chicken and rice – is the ultimate comfort food for me. I like to add greens to it to keep it balanced. I also like to brine my chicken with just salt overnight but you should do it for at least six hours. The longer the brine, the better the flavor. For this particular recipe, I’ve left it alone for 18 hours. The rosemary and garlic will smell so seductive as you slowly cook it. This will add that extra oomph to your dish.
This WILL taste like chicken.
– W.
Rosemary Garlic Chicken
By W.
Serves 2-3
Split chicken breast half
2 rosemary stems
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While that’s happening, place the garlic and olive oil in a pan and turn on the heat to medium. This will help the garlic slowly release their aromatic flavor. When it is starting to turn golden, reduce to low heat and toss in rosemary stems and let cook for about a minute.
With the chicken, salt and pepper again before roasting – this will add extra depth. Gently make an opening under the skin for stuffing. Pour the garlic oil onto the chicken. Next, carefully place the rosemary and garlic bits under the skin. The chicken will automatically cool the oil so it should be cool enough to handle. Make sure you rub the chicken evenly with the oil.
Place the chicken in the oven for about 40-50 min. This will depend on the size of your meat. As always, I check mine with a meat temp. I like my chicken between 170-175. The meat temp should be inserted into the thickest part of the chicken without touching the bone.
Let the chicken rest for at least 5 min before cutting into it. This will keep the meat juicy and we all want that.
