Ina Garten's Favorite Dish to Make for Her Husband Jeffrey Is a Timeless Classic
- Chef Ina Garten's favorite dish to cook for her husband Jeffrey is her legendary roast chicken recipe, which includes a secret ingredient of fennel.
If you follow the life of Chef Ina Garten , you know that she and her husband Jeffrey have quite a love story. He's made several appearances on her cooking show, Barefoot Contessa . She even dedicated a cookbook to him aptly titled, Cooking for Jeffrey. One of Ina's most legendary recipes is her roast chicken , and it's also her favorite dish to cook for Jeffrey. Few dishes have a romantic backstory, right?
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What Makes Ina Garten's Roast Chicken Stand Out
If you think that a roasted chicken dish is no big deal, you obviously haven't tried the Ina Garten version. The recipe comes from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook , and it has become a fan favorite, and for reason. Ina (and Jeffrey) stans love this roast chicken because the flavors are balanced, it's relatively simple to prepare. And there's a secret ingredient that somehow ties the dish all together. No, it's not love, though I'm sure that's part of the equation.
When Ina makes this roast chicken for Jeffrey, she never forgets to add a fennel bulb. Fennel is a little sweet like licorice, but it adds a depth that compliments the savoriness of chicken in Ina's dish.
Related: 21 Best Fennel Recipes That Are Easy and Delicious
If you want to impress your partner (or aspire to have the kind of love the Ina and Jeffrey have), why not start with Ina's roast chicken. You never know, this could be your engagement chicken if you follow the directions correctly!
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How to Make Ina's Roast Chicken
Ina's recipe , which can be found on the Food Network website, yields 8 servings. Here's a general walk-through of how to make it.
For ingredients, Ina's recipe calls for one whole roasting chicken (around 5-6 pounds) and a handful of classic, fresh ingredients: lemon, garlic, carrots, fresh thyme, butter, onions and fennel.
First, get your oven preheated to 425° while you prepare the vegetables and chicken. After removing the giblets, rinse the chicken inside and out and pat the outside dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, inside and out. Fill the chicken's cavity with the thyme, lemon haves and a halved garlic head. Brush the outside of the chicken with melted butter and season again with salt and pepper. This step ensures a flavorful, golden and crispy skin.
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Use kitchen string to tie the legs together, and tuck the wing tips underneath the chicken's body. Spread the carrots, onions and fennel in a roasting pan. Add thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil and toss to coat. This step allows the veggies to absorb all the pan drippings.
Roast for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Be sure to serve this with those delicious cooked vegetables!
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