An Unexpected Cookbook: Sunday Roast Chicken, Yorkshire Pudding, and Roasted Green Beans

A review of Sunday Roast Chicken, Yorkshire Pudding, and Roasted Green Beans from “An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Book of Hobbit Cookery.”

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Sunday Roast Chicken

20181208_200701This is the first time I’ve ever roasted a whole chicken!  Some of the process was disgusting, and I’m not afraid to say I made my husband do those parts, but the end result was worth it!  Even he said so 😉

The herb butter is made first by mincing fresh herbs and combining them with regular butter, salt, and garlic.

The carrots and potatoes are then prepared by being peeled, chopped, and thrown into the bottom of the roast pan.

Next is the chicken.  It’s thoroughly rinsed and dried, and the gizzards and other organs are removed.  The inside of the bird is rubbed with garlic and stuffed with garlic and rosemary, and the herb butter is spread underneath the chicken’s skin, overtop of the chicken’s skin, and on top of the potatoes and carrots.

The bird is then nestled onto the potatoes and carrots, and into the oven it goes!

20181208_192720After about 30 minutes the vegetables are mixed, and though the recipe didn’t call for it I added tin foil around the wings and legs.  They were starting to burn quite early.  Then the chicken goes back into the oven until it’s cooked through.

The chicken has to rest, so while it rested I cooked the Yorkshire Pudding and Green Beans.

Taste: 10/10

While the vegetables really could have used a bit more cooking time, I forgave the recipe for that because the chicken was just so darn good!  It was cooked to perfection; perfectly moist!

Difficulty: Average / Challenging

Working with the chicken can be a bit tricky if you’re new to it, but the instructions are pretty clear and precise.

Cost: Average

Aside from the chicken itself, you’ll need potatoes, carrots, butter, garlic, and herbs.

Yorkshire Pudding

20181208_184254The Yorkshire pudding was prepared early on, right when the chicken first went into the oven.  Eggs, milk, salt, and flour are combined and left to sit out until you’re ready to cook them.

Once you’re ready, butter or another fat (the recipe suggests beef drippings) are put into muffin cups and put in the oven for 5 minutes.  Then they’re removed and the dough is very quickly dropped into the muffin trays before being returned to the oven.20181208_195441

The recipe is clear not to open the oven door at all until they’re done cooking, or else the puddings might collapse!

Taste: 10/10

I’ve never had Yorkshire Pudding before, so I didn’t have anything to compare it too, but I really loved this!  It tastes kind of similar to a pancake.  I might add a bit more salt next time.

Difficulty: Easy

The preparation just involves measuring and mixing ingredients.  For the actual cooking, as long as you can move quickly when pouring the batter into the muffin cups, this is a pretty simple recipe.

Cost: Cheap

Only simple household ingredients are required for this recipe: eggs, milk, salt, flour, butter (or other fat).

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Roasted Green Beans

Once the pudding was prepared and waiting to be cooked, I prepped the green beans.

20181208_194338Once the ends were trimmed and the beans were rinsed, butter is melted and poured into the bottom of a pan.  Then chopped basil leaves are layered overtop of the melted butter, followed by a sprinkling of salt and then the green beans.

About halfway through cooking, the beans are mixed to make sure they’re thoroughly coated in the delicious butter!

Taste: 9/10

While the green beans were very good, mostly because of the huge amount of butter, they felt like they were lacking a little bit.  Maybe some garlic would have stepped this one up a notch.

Difficulty: Easy

All you need to do is chop ends off green beans, slice basil, and melt butter.  Everything is then just layered into the baking dish.

Cost: Cheap

The only ingredients include green beans, butter, basil leaves, and salt!

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