Chef Lesli Sommerdorf from Harmon's shares her her tips and tricks to making an easy Sunday dinner.
Quick Roasted Chicken
From Chef Lesli Sommerdorf for Harmons
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil plus more for vegetables
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly black pepper
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 (3-5 lb) whole chicken
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, sage, thyme and season liberally with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Place the vegetables on prepared sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season liberally with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Place a cooling rack over vegetables.
Remove and discard twine around legs, if needed. Using poultry shears, cut down the right and left side of the backbone and discard. Turn the bird over and press firmly with both hands to snap the center keel bone so that the bird lays flat. Place the chicken on the cooling rack set over the vegetables and drizzle oil-herb mixture over the chicken, rubbing both sides of the chicken with the mixture.
Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees, carefully toss the vegetables, and continue to cook the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh not touching the bone registers 165 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes prior to cutting and serving.
Chocolate Soufflés
From Chef Lesli Sommerdorf for Harmons
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing ramekins
Granulated sugar, for coating ramekins
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1 Tbsp
2 Tbsp heavy cream
7 egg whites, at room temperature
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside surfaces of 8 (6-oz.) ramekins with butter. Sprinkle inside of each with sugar, tipping to coat evenly. Set on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and let melt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until very light, fluffy and thick, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Stir cream into the melted chocolate. Stir 1/3 of the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in remaining 1 Tbsp granulated sugar. Beat 1 minute longer on medium speed until whites are shiny and firm but not stiff.
Add 1/3 of egg whites to chocolate-egg yolk mixture and fold until mixture is stripey. Fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions until mixture is homogenous. Divide evenly among prepared ramekins. At this point, the souffles can be refrigerated for several hours before baking, but then they will need to bake longer (17-20 minutes).
Place ramekins on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake until puffed and beginning to crack, 15-18 minutes.
Remove from oven, garnish with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
