I seem to recall promising to use my brand new Crock-Pot to "roast" a chicken. I say that loosely only because the cooker doesn't leave that nice, crispy skin that roasting in an oven would do. If that's what you're after, throw it under the broiler to crisp the skin, otherwise, it's good as is (at least to my taste buds).
Ok so I didn't truss it and it looks a bit strange but it was mighty tasty!!
I created a creamy roasted garlic sauce to go with the chicken. Who doesn't love the smell and taste of roasted garlic? I mean, seriously - c'mon! Not only is it delicious, it's EASY to do!! Cut the top of the head off, put the heads in individual foil packets, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Into a 350℉ oven for about 45 minutes and POOF!! DONE! It's THAT simple!! If you love garlic as much as I do - try it, you won't be disappointed!
To make the sauce, I used ingredients I have on hand; like evaporated milk, sour cream (the last of my container, perhaps it was about a cup and a half), shredded Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the stuff out of the can), obviously the roasted garlic, and various herbs and spices to my taste. I heated this all in a small pot. That's the nice thing about cooking as opposed to baking - you don't need to measure. It's all by taste and it ISN'T rocket science!! Try it yourself - mine turned out... AWESOME!!
I had no clue what to do with the giblets and I didn't want to waste them; so I browned them in olive oil and butter then threw in about a third cup of flour and cooked that for a few minutes (this cooks off the flour taste and reduces the chances for lumps). Then I pulled it from the heat and added leftover broth from chicken I boiled last week. Back on the heat it went with some additional herbs and spices: thyme, sage, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I let it simmer on the stove for two hours to develop a nice, deep, rich flavor. The extra liquid in the slow-cooker was a bit much, so I grabbed a ladle and added about five ladle-fulls into the pot simmering with giblets. This made way too much!! What do I do with all that?!
SOUP!! That's right!! I grabbed the half bag of egg noodles I had in the cupboard, a can of green beans, and a can of mushrooms. Right into the pot it went - liquid and all! I chopped up the giblets as well and threw them back into the pot. That simmered for another hour while I skimmed the fat off the top with the ladle and... POOF!! VIOLA!! Incredible tasting SOUP!
So now... not only do I have the French Onion Soup I made yesterday but I also have mushroom noodle soup! Put THAT on a spoon and slurp it!
Let's face it... I don't think I'll be cooking for a few days. Leftovers are always delicious!!
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