Summer Tastes Like Citrus

Despite being in the final push to finish the first draft of my dissertation, I took a night off this week to play hostess for two friends, both graduate students. BB, TT, and Dear Husband hit it off smashingly while I was busy in the kitchen whipping up two fancy courses with a fruity, citrus theme.

The entree was a recipe from a college suitie, Treasure Island Chicken. She wrote it for 4 chicken breasts, but I wanted to use the whole chicken I had. You will also need one can of pineapple slices. For the sauce: 1 1/2 cup pineapple/orange juice, 1/4 cup butter, 3 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 dry mustard, 1/8 tsp ginger. I just use bottled spicy mustard. The cinnamon is what makes it smell delicious while it's cooking!

The bottom of the pan is yellow from the pineapple
and lightly concealed sauce. So good!

Preheat oven to 375F (or 400F for a whole bird--from this one's blackened knees, you can see that 425F was evidently too high). Line a baking dish with pineapple slices, distorting them slightly to get as many in as possible. Place chicken on top, skin side up. Butter and salt the skin if you like. Bake (uncovered) about 30 minutes, or until juices are nearly dried.

Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a pot over low heat, stirring assiduously to prevent clumping. When sauce is thick and smooth, smother the chicken with it, then lick your fingers. Wash your hands! Now decorate the chicken with any remaining pineapple slices and put back in oven for at least 30 minutes. Check carefully that the meat is cooked through before serving it.

Just add green salad. Pic from BB.

Treasure Island Chicken is good with ribbon noodles, but I served it with brown rice boiled with a little saffron and some frozen peas (add those near the end). This was the second time we tried this very colorful side dish, which I will claim to have invented until someone proves me wrong. Just try to time it so that the rice finishes while the chicken is resting, or else the peas will discolor.

For dessert we had watermelon cucumber slushies made with coconut water and lime juice and garnished with fresh mint. YUM! These would be good with a liquor of your choice; Thug Kitchen suggests substituting part of the water for vodka "if you want to take tomorrow off too." Wink, wink.

General hilarity courtesy photographer BB.

Frau Doktor Doctor wants to know what you're whipping up in the kitchen to extend the summer just a little longer?