A Sunday Evening in Spring

I’ve been having very vivid dreams this week. Bright and richly textured, they are composed of frenetic brushstrokes––a child’s picture-book were Dali to have written one. I wake in curious amusement, and my mind lingers on them long into daylight hours. Perhaps I should blame the changing of clocks last Sunday. Or, more mystically, maybe astronomical bodies at spring equinox are yielding their powers on my own sleeping one.

Spring, indeed, has arrived. With Nowruz, Persian New Year, taking place earlier this week, Passover on Saturday, Easter nearing, and Ramadan this April, people around the world are taking a moment, pausing in the moment, to celebrate growth and renewal.

Since many of us will be spending quite a bit of time cooking these next few weeks, this week’s menu is simple, and all the more delicious for that. I plan to make it on Sunday, preparations for my Passover having taken their toll. Lisa’s famous vertically roasted chicken will feature at the center of the table. Sometime on Saturday (I’m in the kitchen poaching matzo balls anyway!), I’ll tuck a couple of slivered garlic cloves and a handful of herbs—thyme and rosemary would be welcome––under the chicken’s skin and rub kosher salt inside and out before putting it in my fridge overnight. You could loosely cover the chicken in plastic wrap, but leaving it uncovered will help dry the skin and maximize crispiness later on. When I do roast the next evening, I’ll keep the onions called for in the recipe but replace the sliced carrots with halved lemons, setting them cut-side down on the pan. As the chicken roasts, its juices and fat will render onto the lemons. Savory, sweet, and sour all at once, the caramelized citrus becomes delicious enough to nibble on its own.

Baby potatoes, dressed with flaky salt and olive oil, would be a classic accompaniment. They could even join the chicken in the oven on another rack. Once the potatoes are tender, I’ll crush a clove of garlic over them and stir, the heat of the pan taming the garlic’s bite. While the chicken rests, I’ll squeeze one of the golden-brown lemon halves over the potatoes to marry the two dishes for when they meet again on the plate.

The only thing missing is something green. Spring onions have already appeared in markets in my area, and a slow braise will highlight their natural sweetness. Since they should be served at room temperature, I plan to prepare them a few hours before. Simplicity reigns, after all.

And yet, simplicity doesn’t mean omitting dessert. Passover’s dinner will culminate in a flourless chocolate cake. My gathering will be small, owing to safety measures, so plenty of it will remain. I actually prefer the torte a day or so old, the overnight rest allowing for its flavors to develop. Fridge-cold, the cake becomes even creamier: a perfect foil to a dollop of barely whipped cream.

Perhaps after such a soothing meal, my dreams will settle. And if not, maybe they’ll inspire the next menu. Dalí did author a cookbook, after all.

Netta Keesom, editor of the Cook’s Gazette

Menu for a Simple Sunday Evening

Vertically roasted chicken with caramelized lemons

Roasted baby potatoes with crushed garlic

Braised spring onions

Chocolate orbit cake with softly whipped cream