Even good cooks make mistakes. Sort of.
Dec. 18th, 2007 08:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pantryslutWhen I am stressed, as I have been lately, I become a poorer cook. I get distracted a lot and I make mistakes.
Last night, for example. I was going to make roast chicken. I'd salted the chicken the night before -- it's like brining only less messy. But I forgot to tell G. to wash the salt off the chicken before he put it in the oven. I was rushing out the door to buy a tree, see. So I came back home a half-hour later and the chicken was halfway done already, and there was nothing to be done but wait.
So instead I concentrated on the soup, which was going to take the white beans that I was afraid I overcooked over the weekend. But they didn't go in until the end; in the meantime, I sauteed some sausage (linguica) and carrot and leek, and then the last of the chicken broth in the house and some water to stretch. At the end came some blanched escarole and the beans, and salt and pepper.
The soup was OK, a little underseasoned but entirely edible. Which was good, because I had a feeling the chicken was going to be inedible. Too salty by far. The soup was my backup.
I was wrong.
The skin was a little on the salty side, but only a little. The meat was fine. We ate it all up. there are no leftovers this morning.
(I wouldn't want to taste the pan drippings, though. No gravy this time!)
Tonight, though, I will pay more attention and try to take things slow.
Last night, for example. I was going to make roast chicken. I'd salted the chicken the night before -- it's like brining only less messy. But I forgot to tell G. to wash the salt off the chicken before he put it in the oven. I was rushing out the door to buy a tree, see. So I came back home a half-hour later and the chicken was halfway done already, and there was nothing to be done but wait.
So instead I concentrated on the soup, which was going to take the white beans that I was afraid I overcooked over the weekend. But they didn't go in until the end; in the meantime, I sauteed some sausage (linguica) and carrot and leek, and then the last of the chicken broth in the house and some water to stretch. At the end came some blanched escarole and the beans, and salt and pepper.
The soup was OK, a little underseasoned but entirely edible. Which was good, because I had a feeling the chicken was going to be inedible. Too salty by far. The soup was my backup.
I was wrong.
The skin was a little on the salty side, but only a little. The meat was fine. We ate it all up. there are no leftovers this morning.
(I wouldn't want to taste the pan drippings, though. No gravy this time!)
Tonight, though, I will pay more attention and try to take things slow.
