Broiled Chicken: A Harry Potter Recipe!

This entry goes out to my good friend Amy (yes, of AmyCakes), who is the biggest Harry Potter fan I know.  

I got an [unofficial] copy of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook:


And I have been looking for a chance to try something from it.  We had some chicken quarters I needed to use up, and this recipe seemed plenty easy.  It comes from the Goblet of Fire, when Harry brings Sirius (who’s been hiding out) broiled chicken drumsticks to eat.

And easy it is!  But one recommendation—perhaps save this for a colder month.  Apparently  using the broiler of your oven in June heats up a house like CRAZY. Having your oven running at 500 degrees F for 30+ minutes will apparently raise the internal temp of your house to about 100 degrees F.  Whoudathunkit?


INGREDIENTS:
1 lb chicken pieces (we used quarters, which take longer to cook, so I recommend drumsticks, breasts, or thighs)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (original recipe calls for salt, but this is the only way I can Cajun-i-fy Harry Potter.)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash the chicken pieces, and them pat dry with paper towels.




2. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, then coat the drumsticks in the oil mixture and place them in a deep pan (we tried with a cookie sheet, but the pan warps a lot and drippings pop out, which makes a bit of a mess).

(You can leave the skin on or remove it—we did half with skin & half without, and it tasted great both ways.)

3. Broil for 10 minutes on each side, then check with a meat thermometer immediately—make sure they have an internal temperature of at least 165F. (Since our pieces were larger, it took about 15 minutes on each side, plus a little extra roasting time on a lower rack, so it wouldn’t burn.)  The oil may cause a lot of smoke, so have your stovetop fan running. (And maybe pull the batteries out of your smoke detector momentarily.)


4. Serve with your favorite side dishes!  For us, it’s peas & mashed potatoes w/Cajun gravy.  If you're a fan of brew with your meal, go for a good English ale like Newcastle or Boddingtons (or, to be more Potter-ish, a good butter beer if you can find one.)

Enjoy outside, since it’s crazy-hot inside. :D

NutriFacts: (per 4oz serving of chicken)
Calories 159.4
  Total Fat 12.1 g
  Saturated Fat 1.9 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 8.1 g
  Cholesterol 42.7 mg
  Sodium 630.7 mg
  Potassium 139.3 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 0.9 g
  Dietary Fiber 0.2 g
  Sugars 0.0 g
  Protein 11.6 g