one of the loveliest things about writing a blog is when people start to tell you that they have made certain dishes you posted… it’s happened to me a few times recently and I always read with shock that a) anyone has even made anything I’ve cooked and b) it’s turned out to be a success!
when I started blogging it was about sharing recipes and ideas but I honestly hadn’t really thought that people would actually cook something i posted… but it has made me realise that the process of writing about food is not just about liking something, coming up with an idea, cooking it and writing it up but somewhere in there is a huge amount of responsibility…
… many of my blogger friends have books out this year… Ms Marmite Lover was first to the post with her brilliant SupperClub… James Ramsden with what will no doubt be an excellent offering, has the launch of his book Small Adventures in Cooking on June 14th and the delightful Vanessa Kimbell has her genius book Prepped out a week before on June 9th…
… clearly there is a huge trend in food and food writing and whilst I don’t deny that I know I have a cook book inside me it is with much trepidation that I accept the offer to review a cook book by one Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy Award Winner, Supermom, Rockstar wife and all round fabulous human being… isn’t all that enough love… you need to be stomping all over my playground with your perfect teeth and happy family stories of celebrity dinner parties and recipes from Grammy Paltrow… is it huh?
… actually i’m being pretty un-fair… i like Gwyneth… and I like her book, Notes From My Kitchen Table… it’s pretty non-offensive and does have some lovely stories about her father and her food influences… and it does contain this very good recipe for ten-hour roast chicken…
…really simple… just salt and pepper the chicken, squeeze on the juice of 1 lemon, place 5 garlic cloves inside with a bunch of thyme, lay it breast down in a roasting tin, wrap tightly in tin foil and roast for 9 and a half hours on 100C, the half an hour with the foil off at 200C till it becomes golden… and whilst you may think this is a HUGE waste of electricity, the chicken tastes like none other I have ever tasted before… ever… the juices alone will make a wonderful broth, perfect to finally rid me of this dreadful cold!
I also have been given 2 copies of the book to give away to my lovely readers, all you have to do it leave a comment in the comment box below and I will enter you into a random draw which will take place in 7 days time.
eat, and of course, enjoy!
I had no idea that she had a cookbook! How interesting! This chicken looks great. 10 hours of cooking seems worth it.
Yum!I may have to take your word for it on the chicken, I don't know if I am capable of prepping 10 hrs ahead for a meal!
The chicken sounds great and I have just the bird here to try it with.
There's a fabulous and hilarious “dramatic reading” of Gwyneth's book here – http://bit.ly/h8ab6M
Enjoy!
thanks guys… I've got to say again how AMAZING that chicken was and i've just made some soup from the juices and some of the chicken and it was INCREDIBLE!!!
@Clare… no prep needed, simply bung it in the oven in the morning before you go to work and then when you get home you have dinner ready!… too easy!
I'm wondering if a slow cooker could be used instead. Certainly save on electricity costs. I do love the idea of cooking a chicken this way.
Ooh, this looks amazing!
I accidentally discovered slow cooked chicken, when I left one in the oven, temperature turned down, and was delayed coming home, but that was only five hours! Now I'm going to have to try doubling my cooking time!
I'm glad your cold is going, have a great bank holiday weekend. Jude x
Your kitchen must have smelt absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious Dom! I'd be salivating all day long!
Pally with GP now – your meteoric rise continues 😉 I remember slow cooked chicken in the bottom of my mother's aga many many years ago when I still ate meat – it was the best.
wow that chicken looks great! I'm very intrigued by the idea to cook a chicken for so long!
@kate… I was out all day working at Gunby Hall (yes, with a cold… I know, i'm naughty..) but when I got home the house was incredible!
@choclette… she didn't personally give me the books, that would have been nice… I'm so tired…
@Mikki… I wasn't convinced but I am absolutely a convert!
I've made a roast chicken in my slow cooker before, a similar idea I guess.
I rubbed paprika over it, along with some other spices, as things don't really brown in the slow cooker.
I'm glad to hear your cold's going!
oh wish I'd seen this post last night – just roasted a chicken the bog standard way!
I love a roast chook because there is so much that you can do with the leftovers – I've got soup made from the carcass stock on the go for lunch tomorrow and enough bits of chicken to make a mild curry.
That's three good meals (each of several portions) from one little organic chicken 🙂
Ali x
I made a deal with Pete that I would not buy any new cookery books without getting rid of at least two existing ones for each new one. This was a rash promise and one I regret often.
So, these days, the only way I get my hands on new cookery books is by generously being sent them to review (for which I am so grateful) and by winning them in lovely competitions (ditto).
Also, I like Gwyneth too – I don't get that British thing we do where we like someone and like someone and like someone and once we've built them up, suddenly decide they're too big for their boots (though their behaviour hasn't changed at all) and turn into vindictive little fuckers.
So good for Gwyneth for publishing this book and hoorah for her roast chicken, which I shall have to try!
Please enter me into your draw!
Roast chicken is by far my favourite roast and this slow roast method sounds divine. I really like GP – I've seen a few recipes from this book about and they look pretty good overall.
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The chicken looks delicious, but I'm sure it's because you sprinkled your “Dom Magic” all over it!
I've been tempted 2x's to pick up this cookbook, now I think I'll wait! LOL!!!
——
P.S. Had to delete previous comment because of 2 huge typos . . .
Hi Dom – I've got to say GP has gone right up in my estimation since she called her grandmother a very rude name in an interview recently! I've read some very cynical reviews of this book so I'm glad to hear someone actually talking about whether the food works- thanks x
I saw her on the Graham Norton Show this week showing the book. It does look great! And I am linking this post to my comfort food fb page as it is SO appropriate! Comfort Food Chicken, and then Comfort Food Broth!
I was flicking through this in WH Smith the other day and counting my pennies (there weren't enough of them, as it turned out!) but I really did like the look of Gwynnie's book. I was expecting something a bit like Sophie Dahl's offering which I didn't like at all (found the book and her TV show too insipid) and ended up giving to the charity shop. But this actually looks lovely. Will definitely try the ten hour chicken, I imagine it would be absolutely falling apart and really juicy 🙂
It's like a stew roast chicken?
Gwyn is so sophisticated, I wouldn't see her as a typical comfort cook. I wonder if the book's any good. I saw her on Ellen.
I'd definitely give that chicken a go, can't imagine what it would be like after cooking for so long!
Wow Dom, I never even knew she had a book. I saw her on a PBS show about cooking in Spain and it was wonderful. This dish will be awesome on a cool summer day when I don't mine my house getting warm. I always kid my husband and tell him our home was built over Hell. Hottest house ever!!! Summer cooking for me is always on the grill!!
What beautiful roast chicken! It looks so, so moist and tender. Well, after 10 hours of cooking I suppose. I love Gwyneth Paltrow, especially after watching her in Glee. I've been eyeing her cook book as well, so please count me in to the draw 🙂
I love slow-cooked things! It always feels so traditional and hearty.. and is wonderful when you're entertaining.
I can just imagine how moist and tender this is… and considering I want to go vegetarian, that's really saying something haha
Prolly won't get a cookbook for this, but I tried her pancakes and they were not that great really! :0)
Chicken looks nice though
Dom…hope that you are feeling better! I saw GP cooking crabbie patties on Something for the weekend the other week. At first I was a bit reluctant to believe that a movie star could write a decent cookbook but I was really impressed with that recipe…and the chicken one you've cooked. A wonderful weekend dish! 🙂
It looks like this would be a great recipe for a sunday lunch when you want it to be a little bit special – I'm thinking visits from in-laws!
Her marketing of her book is nothing short of amazing. She has been in every newspaper, evert TV and radio show going and there are millions of reviews on the blogs. I wonder if she has made a start on her follow up yet.
keep seeing good recipes from her book now I am curious
I hope your book give-away isn't limited to residents of the UK–I think GP's book looks wonderful and I am going to try the 10-hour chicken.
Dom, I love your blog. I found it while Googling “Delia Smith” and the picture of your lovely kitchen drew me in…
I love the sound of this way of cooking chicken. I almost tried making it today, but I couldn't be bothered to get out of bed early enough. Just in case Gwyneth ever reads this and fancies wandering around Spain again eating whatever looks good then I just wanted to say that I'm available in case Bittman can't make it.
Mmmmm… nothing like a slow roastie! I like the idea of all that garlic emanating from the cavity … oh, how to fill a house with delicious smells. Who knew Gwenyth had a cookbook out? That's a total surprise to me!
Glad to hear the cold's kicked on its way.
That's not a shameful waste of electricity, that's called a good way to heat the house all day while you cook dinner! (Presumably Gwynnie spends those 10 hours at the gym?) Loved The Digested Read version of her book, but have read lots of nice things about it too. Would love to make up my own mind (hint, hint!)
@SLS thanks and welcome to the kitchen ( which, with any luck is about to be knocked thru and expanded any day now!!)
Chicken looks like an interesting twist, will definitely try it.
Don't enter for me for the giveaway as I already have it. I thought it was a very well put together book with appealing recipes whilst also managing to be healthy but not preachy.
I will definitely be cooking more from it and reckon that my fridge will have a permanent supply of miso dressing from now on!
When I heard Gwyneth was publishing a cookbook I have to admit being very sceptical, fearing something similar to Dahl's poor offering. However, afte reading this I'd love to get my hands on a copy and seen as I've already spent this months cookbook quota on prepped & mrs Marmite and 2 others I need to win a copy.
Thanks for the chance to win 😉
I've been um-ing and ah-ing over Gwyneth's recent plunge in to the cookbook world, but I have to admit, I'd really quite like to give that chicken a try!! So you've swayed it.. please enter me in to the competition!! 🙂
That chicken looks utterly beautiful. I know there are many “Goop”-haters out there but I will love Gwyneth Paltrow always for playing Margot Tenenbaum so beautifully. Will have to invest in this book.. if I don't win it, wink.
I have heard that Gweneth reads plenty of blogs and has a passion for food just like the rest of us. I would love to sit down with a chicken sandwich snd immerse myself in the pages of her book.
I'm doing this one. Thanks, Dom…and Gwyneth.
I was sceptical about the book but after seeing this recipe I can't wait to try it out
Peter
I've done 12 h for chicken before, but in a slow cooker, for soup! the meat was falling off the bone, so tender! this sounds yum! can't wait to try it out!
Well, I tried this, but couldn't get home fast enough for it to be out in 10 hours. After 11 hours (plus the 30 minutes to crisp up the skin) the thighs and legs were extremely moist, and the bones just “fell out” of the meat. The breast came off a tad dry, but was still extremely tasty and will make for good lunch meat that I'll use in lettuce wraps. The flavour of the thyme permeated throughout it all and was quite awesome. Instead of lemon, I squeezed in a mandarin orange… the tone of which was quite nice. First time putting a chicken upside down in a roasting pan (tin) – which made for some really good looking grill marks.