À la Sandy

I remember as a kid, my mom, Betty Lou, constantly thumbing through Better Homes and Gardens magazines and her red and white, hard copy, Betty Crocker “Picture” Cookbook, searching for recipes to impress and nourish her family.  Gotta tell you, there were lots of dinner-time experiments that left me unimpressed.  I clearly remember meals that consisted of Salmon-loaf (canned salmon) and scalloped potatoes, or Spam and scalloped potatoes, or tuna medallions (again, canned) with scalloped potatoes – you see the theme here?

Mom would use any “meat” from a can and dress it up with scalloped potatoes and they were ALWAYS accompanied by a canned vegetable!  I remember canned “french” string beans, canned creamed corn, canned peas….OH, and does anyone remember “canned stewed tomatoes?”  God I hated those – my mom used to doctor them with fresh, Wonder Bread, bread crumbs and lots of salt and pepper – they were dreadful!  It wasn’t until I got married and moved out on my own, that I made my first acquaintance with fresh produce.  Back then, fresh veggies were cheaper than canned vegetables and all I could afford.

God bless my mom – it is how all the young moms were cooking in those days – it was the era.  Everything was about convenience back then – making housewives’ duties more stream-lined!  Canned veggies and frozen dinners – with Mac and Cheese and  Salisbury Steak?  I’m sorry, but WTF IS Salisbury Steak, anyway? I have no idea, but I know I ate a lot of it as a kid.

If you’re a fan of “Mad Men,” my mom, Betty Lou, WAS Betty Draper! Right down to the smoking and drinking during pregnancy.  I was always tiny and problematically skinny as a kid, so mom used to force-feed me milkshakes and Ovaltine, DAILY, to “put some meat on my bones”  It wasn’t until I was an adult and learned about the consequences of smoking during pregnancy and of second-hand smoke, that I realized maybe I wasn’t so much a “sickly” child, as much as I was a result of being around all that smokin’ and drinkin’….ya think?

Mom was a “Pall-Mall” smoker….and Dad was a Tareyton, “I’d rather fight than switch” smoker

Trust me when I tell you, I’m not taking my parents to task in blogworld – I LOVE and miss them dearly…….I’m just painting a picture for you of life in the 60s – a world of Iceberg Lettuce Salads, Underwood Deviled Ham Sandwiches, Jello 1-2-3 and relish platters every night at Martini Hour!

Anywayyyyy….one night, Mom served us a new meal she was experimenting with, from one of the aforementioned publications – Rosemary Chicken. I remember to this day how stunned and delighted I was when I tasted my first bite! If I had to describe it today, I’d say it’s a “tangier” version of Chicken Cacciatore with it’s main ingredient being……..(gulp)…………Ketchup!  It was dee-licious!  From then on, every time Mom asked “who wants Salmon-Loaf?” my Dad, brother and I would scream – “NO….Rosemary Chicken”!!!  It was my favorite childhood dinner and when I became a bride and moved out on my own, it became my “Signature Dinner Party” meal….and as my kids grew up, it became one of their favorites! (besides “Taco Night”)

I made it the other night and my husband went nuts when he ate it.  He raced to the kitchen the next afternoon to re-heat a plate for lunch.

Don’t be swayed when you see the ingredients – they’re simple and scary, I know – but if you allow it to cook for at least an hour, it will reduce to a rich, dark tangy sauce, that is exceptional.  I’ve made this for guests many times, who LOVE it . When I tell them it’s made with Ketchup and Vinegar, they’re always shocked!

Also….”Chicken breasts are always the best”…….except here! Thighs and Legs are what I recommend.  AND – serve it with mashed potatoes, with a “well” scooped out of the middle to pour in a heaping ladle-full of sauce!  This is “comfort food” at it’s best!

I haven’t changed anything about the original recipe, except the original called for Garlic salt, which I replaced with fresh.

Cheers and God Bless my Mom and Dad!!!

Rosemary Chicken

2 pounds organic chicken thighs and legs
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
2/3 cup white, or apple cider vinegar
1/2 stick  butter
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
Kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Measurement Converter:

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Heat a large deep skillet to medium high.  Pour the Olive oil in, spread it around and place all the chicken pieces in evenly.  Brown well on each side, approximately 5-7 minutes each side.  When both sides are golden brown, place the onion slices on top.

In a separate saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the garlic and lightly sauté.  Add the ketchup, vinegar, rosemary and salt and pepper and cook for one minute.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and cover.  Simmer on low for at least an hour.  Check on the chicken a couple times and turn it over.  If the sauce gets too thick, add water.    After an hour or so, the meat should fall of the bone and the sauce should be a thick, deep, reddish brown.  I always serve this with mashed potatoes – with a “well” scooped out so you can fill it with the sauce and I never get fancy trying to plate it – the simple Three-Point Landing is perfect for this nostalgic meal!  Cheers!