Engagement Chicken? Please.

We have all read about Glamour Magazine's famous engagement chicken. It has a lemon inside of it. Seriously. That's it. It looks pretty and all, but let's be honest..... if you are trying to lock that boy down, maybe try a bit harder to win his taste buds over first.

There is no secret that a perfectly roasted chicken looks impressive. And yes, if you are cooking for someone who is more of a "can of soup chef" then please, stuff that chicken with a lemon and watch him drop to his knee. But come on, any one with any culinary expertise if going to need a little bit more than citrus to pop the question.

Personally, I always thought of chicken as an absolute last resort for an easy dinner or something that I had to eat when I was pretending to diet. However,  last summer (as I was spending a little too much time galavanting around New York City while forgetting how to be a responsible member of society) I stumbled upon this chicken dish in a small restaurant outside of Brooklyn, NY called Vinegar Hill House.

Now, I am never one to order chicken, but after a little convincing I asked for the Cast Iron Chicken and have dreamt about it ever since.

Secret: perfectly roasted chicken + to die for sauce = possible knee drop/ a good sheet ruffling.... whatever you are looking for. 

Apparently I have some good karma floating around (only God knows how) because I opened up a copy of The New Brooklyn Cookbook and found the recipe for this life changing chicken right in front of my eyes.

Ok, maybe I am embellishing a little (shocking) but this chicken is seriously amazing and..... shhhhhh...... a version of it will absolutely be in my ("our") cookbook.

Cast iron skillet chicken

Roasted Shallots

Ingredients:

Shallots

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Fresh thyme

Method:

Coat shallots in about 2 tablespoons of butter (for 8-10 shallots) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with a pinch of chopped fresh thyme. Tent in foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Uncover and roast for 5-10 more minutes to add a little color. 

You can find the original recipe for this chicken in the cookbook listed above..... my adapted version is written down in a cute notebook titled "Cookbook Recipes." Be excited.