Simplicity
Ivermectin, the Superman of anti-parasitic drugs, is capable of killing the roundworms that cause river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, two of the world’s most debilitating tropical diseases. William Campbell, the 2015 joint winner of the Nobel Price for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of Ivermectin, titled his presentation to the Nobel Laureate committee, Ivermectin: A Reflection on Simplicity. He described the intrinsic appeal of simplicity to scientists as a matter of practical utility.
Bill, a long time member of Christ Church (which we also attend), conducted the sermon a few weeks ago, and then fielded questions afterwards. The 85 year old Irish-American, biologist and parasitologist, poet and painter is humble, witty, and warm. From his early research on the development of the heart worm pill (the same one we give to our dogs and cats) he saw greater possibilities.
To hear a Nobel Prize winner describe the decades long process of drug discovery as “simplicity” was awe inspiring. That millions of people who would now be blind can see brings you to tears.
Often things that are really complex, when brilliantly solved, look simple.
Regarding Gravy
For some, gravy is one of the reasons to roast a chicken. Our family of seven divides almost evenly on the gravy line. Three won’t touch it, four of us require a spoon with any meal including gravy.
Making good gravy is a technique not a recipe. Best gravies result from the drippings from a bird or meat to provide depth of flavor.
We try to get our birds from Vacchiano Farm. Anthony and his extended family humanely raise chickens and turkeys at their Port Washington Farm and sell them frozen on Sundays at the Summit Farmers Market.
Start with a fresh, thawed bird. If you’re planning ahead, the chicken (cleaned and dried, inside and out) can be placed uncovered in the fridge for a day or so before you roast it, allowing the skin to tighten, increasing its crispness.
At least two 1/2 hours before you want to serve:
Preheat oven to 450-475. Position rack in center of the oven.
Salt the inside and outside of the chicken. Place several peeled cloves of garlic, half of a lemon in the cavity. Stick in a handful of whatever herbs you have on hand in the cavity opening. Thyme is our favorite.
Spread a roughly chopped onion or two, a chopped carrot if you are feeling energetic, and several peeled cloves of garlic in the bottom of a heavy duty roasting pan. I am partial to my All Clad (but did have employee discount to offset the price tag). Best Roasting Pan Reviews. The pan needs to be sturdy for even roasting and gravy…
Fold back the wings, truss only if you are a traditionalist, I never do...and place your chicken on top of and surrounded by the scattered vegetables. Rub some soft butter on the chicken. Place pan in oven. Walk away. In 15 minutes check that the vegetables are not burning (should be browned but not black). Add a little water if needed. Cook a bit more (5-15 min) until your kitchen has a glorious roasting chicken smell and the skin is golden.
Turn oven down to 325 and roast until legs are jiggly. Truthfully, we like our chicken well done and cook the chicken for another 90 minutes at least. Personal taste and/or a meat thermometer dictate.
While the chicken is roasting, commission a helper (read child) to peel 5# of potatoes. Cube the peeled potatoes and cover completely with cold water. If you have lots of peeled garlic cloves, add at least a handful to the water. Salt water assertively (slightly salty taste) and bring to a boil. Then simmer until tender. Drain well, place covered pot on burner over low heat for a few minutes to cook off the extra moisture. Mash with whatever you have on hand (room temp cream cheese, buttermilk, creme freshe, or simply butter and milk). Keep warm.
Remove the tops from a few bunches of carrots, peel leaving the tip of the green end. Cover with cold water and boil till tender. Season with sea salt and a little butter.
Prepare other vegetables as available: green beans and corn are classic.
Remove the chicken from oven and let sit for a few minutes to allow the juices to run into the pan. Carefully move the chicken to a platter, leaving the juices in the roasting pan, tent with foil and a tea towel to keep warm.
Now: the roux gravy. A roux is a mixture of equal parts of oil, butter, or fat renderings and flour. The roux mixture is cooked at least three to five minutes to remove the raw flavor of the flour, then the liquid is added which thickens into the gravy. The roux method is least likely to produce lumpy gravy.
To make a roux gravy, the basic formula is 2 tablespoons fat, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 cup of liquid to equal 1 cup of gravy.
Pour all the pan juices into a Fat Separator. Fat will rise to the top. For two cups of gravy, skim off a quarter cup of the fat and put back in roasting pan (if you don’t have enough fat, add butter). Over medium high heat whisk in a quarter cup of white flour (Wondra Flour is great for gravy) and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes, until you can smell the flour roasting.
Then slowly add in the warm stock from the gravy separator. Additional liquid used can be a strong broth, milk or heavy cream depending on how rich and decadent you want the finished product. (I always add a glug or two of heavy cream). Don’t forget to include the browned pan vegetable bits, these add color and flavor
Continue adding liquid until your gravy is the consistency you want. If it needs thinning, just add a little more broth. Unless your meat was highly seasoned, you will generally need to add seasoning before finishing. As a general rule, one-half teaspoon of salt will be needed for each cup of liquid, but taste first. Keep in mind that the gravy will thicken upon standing. Continue to add liquid and flavorings as needed.
Serve with the Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and vegetables.
Shepard’s Pie
In our house, I usually make two chickens at a time and at least 4-6 cups of gravy as well as lots of mashed potatoes and vegetables. After dinner, we strip the chickens (keep skin, bones etc for Chicken Stock Recipe). In a casserole pan combine bite size chicken pieces, vegetables (carrots, green beans, corn, zucchini…) with gravy. Top mixture with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle a little paprika on top for color. Shepard’s Pie can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for a few months. Bake at 375 until potatoes are golden brown and the chicken mixture is bubbly.
About the photo: taken on our 25th wedding anniversary bike trip to Brittany, France.
500 miles 