Jeremy requested another roasted chicken the last time we were at the grocery store, in part (I think) because the white chicken chili I made with the leftovers of our last roast chicken was so tasty. So that was dinner last night. Thomas Keller’s recipe is definitely my go-to roast chicken nowadays, because it is so quick and unfussy, and you end up with an extremely moist chicken with shatteringly crisp bronzed skin. I like making a simple jus with the pan drippings deglazed with a bit of white wine and water, then reduced down with a dollop of grainy mustard.

To go with the chicken, I decided use up the lone celery root that has been rattling around my vegetable drawer. I cut it into thick matchsticks and braised it slowly with half a stick of butter, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. It was covered on medium low heat for at least half an hour, and stirred a few times, until the celeriac was thoroughly tender but still holding its shape.

I also used a beautiful bagful of fresh maitake or hen of the woods mushrooms that I found at the farmer’s market yesterday, and pan-roasted them along the lines of Craft, with shallots and garlic, olive oil, butter, and fresh thyme from the garden. They were pretty tasty, and played nicely off the rest of the meal, but I don’t know if I really get what all the fuss is about with these mushrooms. I tasted sauteed chestnut mushrooms at the market and thought they had a much nicer flavor, but of course they had just run out, so we’ll have to try them another time.