blue artichoke

Although I'm not Jewish, I do like the food, so I celebrate Jewish holidays when it suits me. Hanukkah officially began at sundown last Tuesday, but it lasts eight days, so my Sunday holiday dinner was timely.

Hanukkah is the festival of lights, and celebrates "miracle of the container of oil" which had only enough consecrated oil to fuel the eternal flame for one day at the re-dedication of the Temple after the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, but miraculously burned for eight, giving them time to harvest and press more olive oil. As such a miraculous oil, the holiday is celebrated by guzzling as much olive oil as possible in eight days.

Now, if you're going to drink your body weight in oil, olive oil is the healthiest way to go, as monounsaturated fats have been linked to a reduction in the risk of developing coronary heart disease. As wise as those second-century Jews were, though, I'm pretty sure that olive oil is one of those good-in-moderation, more-does-not-equal-better health elixirs.

Our celebratory oil-consumption came via traditional potato latkes (shredded potatoes formed into patties and fried in, what else, olive oil), and a roast chicken rubbed with olive oil. The latkes were OK, but not special enough to share with you. I've made better. The chicken, though, was so simple and delicious that I'll definitely share. The skin was golden brown and crispy and the meat was tender and so juicy. Roasting a chicken is one of the easiest meals, but mine often come out somehow both dry and undercooked (thanks to an oven door that doesn't actually close all the way). This one was perfect.

Roast Chicken

2 3-4-pound chickens
3 lemons, cut into 1” chunks
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves
Olive oil
½ t. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
½ c. white wine or dry vermouth

Rinse chicken; pat dry. Heat oven to 375.

Place the lemon and garlic in the chickens’ cavities. Tie the legs together. Rub the birds with some oil; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Tuck some thyme sprigs between the breast and the thighs and wings. Put the remaining sprigs in the roasting pan and place the chickens on top. Roast for 1-½ h or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reads 180°F. Remove the chickens to a platter. Pour any juices that accumulate back into the pan. Discard the thyme. Place the pan over med heat, add the wine; bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan.

Pour the pan juices into a cup and place in the freezer for ~10m to hasten the separation of the fat. Discard the fat and heat the remaining juices in a saucepan or in the microwave. Serve with one of the chickens. Wrap and refrigerate the other chicken for another meal.

Serves 4 with leftovers.

Real Simple, February 2004.

I halved the recipe, cooking only one chicken, and still had plenty of leftovers. We picked at the bird for a few meals, then today I stripped the old carcass of its meat and shredded it to use in a chicken casserole later this week. See, you don't have to be Jewish to be industrious. The oil might have lasted eight days, but this bird will last nine. At least.

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