Rotisserie Chicken made at home
It’s enough to make your mouth water:
Rotisserie chicken made on Leon’s Kamado Joe Grill
Rotisserie Chicken - chicken raised by Larry Heitkamp
Sheet Pan Vegetables - raised by Homegrown Gardens, Loads of Crop, R&D Gardens, Dave and Janet
Butternut Squash stuffed with curried rice - Homegrown Gardens
With dessert
Apple Pie and Gluten Free Apple Crisp - Rivers Bend Orchards.
That was the menu for our latest Locally Grown Meal prepared by our chef Leon with dessert made by Gretchen Larson. Leon’s wife, Lori, was hostess and prepared appetizers including mixed nuts and I took pictures and asked lots of questions to chronicle the event.
It has been almost two months since we dined, but the warmth of the conversation and wonderful flavors of the food pleasantly linger in my mind.
The gift of hospitality
Before I talk about the meal, I want to mention connections. Not just connections with our food, but how the food becomes a connection with those around us.
There’s a connection with the growers, for one, and then a connection with those who join us for the meal!
The hosts for the meal were Leon and Lori. Their ability to not only prepare a very tasty meal, but also how comfortable they make guests feel in their home and at the table is truly a gift!
I hope that you find interest in the stories of local growers and make connections with local foods yourself. And I hope you share that with others. There is something special in it all. And thank you, Leon and Lori, for sharing that gift.
How did you find the locally grown foods?
Truthfully, sourcing the local ingredients for the meal wasn’t difficult. The Fergus Falls Farmers Market was in its final weeks as we gathered the vegetables and fruit.
I picked up the chicken - four in all - from Larry Heitkamp of Sebeka a few weeks before the meal. Like any animal product purchased from a local grower, it was frozen. He raises laying hens and sells eggs, but last year also raised broilers or meat birds. The birds were all fed a GMO-free diet as well as eating from nature’s smorgasbord. In other words, the birds were on pasture.
Preparing locally grown chicken
My husband and I prepared one of the birds - a crockpot preparation - for our Christmas meal. This chicken was meaty and full of flavor. Store bought chicken that is commercially raised is often mushy.
Great birds, Larry. (Contact me at thelocalgrowers@gmail.com for Larry’s info if you are interested in purchasing some of his birds)
Leon prepared two chickens on the rotisserie of his Kamado Joe grill. This is a Japanese-style grill and uses both charcoal and wood. He started with a log of wood and then added charcoal, he said.
He brushed the chicken with olive oil, sprinkled kosher salt, pepper and paprika on the bird, before putting on the rotisserie over the grill.
Leon also uses duck fat in a spray version. He sprayed both the chicken and the sheet pan roasted vegetables with the spray. Duck fat gives the meat and the vegetables extra flavor.
As mentioned above, I sourced vegetables from several growers at the Fergus Falls Farmers Market. Leon and Lori’s daughter, Abby, provided tomatoes for the roasted vegetables and Leon and Lori grew garlic and chives which added to the meal preparation.
Our dinner guest also provided the dessert. Gretchen Larson prepared an apple pie and gluten-free apple crisp. (More on that preparation in an upcoming The Local Growers story.
Here are the recipes:
The chicken
Ingredients:
2 5-pound whole chickens
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp black course ground pepper
1 tsp. Sweet paprika
2 c. Prepared curried rice mix (this was also a side dish. Recipe below)
The Method:
Stuff the cavities of both chickens with the prepared curried rice mixture.
Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string, then pin the wings to the chicken body with toothpicks or small skewers.
Brush both chickens with Olive oIil, sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and paprika.
Skewer the chickens to the rotisserie rod, then clamp in place.
Put on the grill under a lump of charcoal, and a wood chuck fire at 275 degrees. Rotating over the heat for 3 hours until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 minutes. The temperature will rise to 185 degrees.
Ready to serve!
stuffed squash
Butternut Squash stuffed with Curried Rice:
Ingredients
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
5 Tbsp curry paste
1/4 c. Canola oil (divided)
2 large squash, cut in half and seeds removed
5 c. Cold precooked basmati rice
1 c. Unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c. Salted cashews, plus more for garnish
1/2 c. Fresh cilantro, finely shopped
1/2 c. Fresh scallions, sliced thin
1/4 c. Fresh mint, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp grated lime zest
2 Tbsp lime juice
The method -
Stir together the brown sugar, salt, 1 Tbsp curry paste and 1 Tbsp oil in a small bowl.
Brush the cut sides of the squash with the oil mixture and place the four squash halves face down on a baking sheet.
2. Stir together the precooked rice, coconut, 2 tbsp oil the remaining 1/4 c. of curry paste in a large bowl. Spread the rice mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet.
3. Place the sheet pan with rice on the top rack of the oven, then place the pan with the squash on the lower rack. With the oven, heated to 350 degrees, roast the rice until gold and crisp, (about 25-30 minutes) Roast the squash 30-45 minutes total until tender. Flip the squash over, then remove the four halves of squash and the rice form the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
4. Scoop out the shoulder area of the squash and add to the large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 c. Of cashews, the cilantro. Scallions, chopped mint, fish sauce, lime zest, the crispy rice mixture and mix well. Divide into four equal sections to match up with eh four halved butternut squash. Fill each the squash cavities with the rice mixture, Garnish with remaining scallions, cashews and mint leaves, lime wedges.
Now it’s ready to serve!
Make ahead:
The rice can be made through step 3 and stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Wine paring:
A crisp Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or an old vine Reisling.
Notes:
The red curry paste is available at most grocery stores, if a vegetarian option is needed, a plant based fish sauce is a great alternative, but check local availability.
Sheet pan vegetables:
The Ingredients-
Red “new potatoes”
Carrots
Rutabagas
Carrots
The Method:
Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, dice the carrots to the same and slice the rutabagas to 1/4 inch slices. The carrots sliced very thin, spread onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Bake the vegetables at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until browned. Use a flat spatula to scoop onto serving tray. Have salt and pepper ready for personal preference.
The Curried Rice Mixture:
Use the excess from the rice mixture for the stuffed squash. This can be served as a side dish if enough is leftover.
Enjoying the meal. Great conversation. Great food
