Roast Capon with Mushroom Onion Stuffing

A typical Seder chicken with a slight sweetness to it.  Serve with a green vegetable.  From Food and Drink Spring 2000.   I liked the addition of citrus juices to this and a bit of honey.  I was not able to find Matzo Meal around my home but did buy some Matzo crackers and just ground them up.  I did not buy the Kosher red wine but just used a very nice Italian red - which of course was served with dinner :)

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2.2 kg capon or roasting chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Stuffing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
375 g white mushrooms, sliced
125 g shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 cup matzo meal
1 cup chicken stock
1 egg
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/2 cup dry Kosher red wine
1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
3 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Combine tarragon, honey, lemon juice, orange juice and olive oil.  Brush on to chicken.  Leave to marinate for 4 hours, refrigerated or overnight.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. For stuffing; add olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onion and saute for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until about 2 minutes.  Stir in matzo meal, chicken stock and egg.  Season with tarragon, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Place stuffing in casserole dish and cover with foil.  Bake alongside chicken for 1 hour.
4. Place chicken on rack over roasting pan.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of chicken, or until chicken skin is crisp and juices are clear.
5. Place chicken on serving platter and cover lightly with a tea towel while finishing sauce.
6. Pour out any fat from roasting pan, leaving any juice.  Add wine, orange juice, vinegar and honey.  Bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes or until reduced by half.  Add stock and boil for another 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. Carve chicken and serve with stuffing and sauce.

Serves 8

Baked Ham with Bourbon Citrus Glaze

Love this glaze, from Food And Drink 2000.

4 kg bone-in smoked ham
2 tbsp coarsely grated orange zest
2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup bourbon whisky, rye whiskey or amber rum
1/2 cup 3 fruit marmalade (I used a mango chutney)
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Remove skin and trim fat from ham leaving a 1/4 inch thick layer.  Score the fat to make a diamond pattern.  Place ham in a shallow roasting pan and bake, uncovered for 1 hour.  Drain off fat.
3. Meanwhile, blanch orange and lemon zest in a small saucepan of boiling water for 1 min to remove bitterness.  Drain and reserve.
4. Puree bourbon, marmalade, honey and mustard in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Generously brush ham with bourbon glaze and sprinkle zests over top.  Bake, basting with glaze every 15 minutes for 1 hour or until nicely glazed and meat thermometer registers 140F (60C).  Add a small amount of water to bottom of pan if glaze begins to burn.  Transfer ham to a warm platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minuter before carving.

Serves 8 to 10 with generous leftovers

Citrus Cool Cocktail

A nice light cocktail - the first time I have used Vermouth :)

1 oz white rum
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Lemon Lime pop

Pour the rum, vermouth and lime juice into glass filled with ice.  Stir, then top with lemon lime pop.  Garnish with a lime or lime slice.