LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN DEMO: Meyer Lemon & Cracked Peppercorn Mélange Roasted Springer Mountain Chicken, Wild Rice, Salt Pork, & Onion Sautéed Brussel Sprouts. Accompanied with Pan Jus Reduction.

This recipe comes to Golden Isles Cooks via local  chef of The Half Shell, Connor Rankin, located in the Village on Saint Simons Island. The Half Shell is a great little seafood house with a warm atmosphere and friendly staff. Chef Connor brings his own take to southern and local traditional cuisine, and tossed in some worldly dishes for good measure.

My name is Connor Rankin, and I am the Chef & Manger at The Half Shell located in the Pier Village.

I grew up in Tifton, Georgia in what we affectionately call "the country," surrounded by dirt roads and peanut & cotton fields. My happiest childhood memories are centered around get togethers with family and friends, and of course those were usually centered around food....   
Growing up, my family always had an above average garden, thanks to my father's green thumb and ingenuity. We were field-to-table long before it was cool. A favorite story that my parents like to tell is of me in the garden with them as a toddler, where I picked tomatoes and ate them as if they were apples. One day, I was perusing the—what I thought was a—carrot patch, not knowing my father often sewed carrots and radishes together, since they require similar growing conditions. Needless to say, after polishing off my first carrot, I mistakenly grabbed a radish, rubbed the dirt off on my white t-shirt and took the first bite. "Wow!" I exclaimed, simultaneously slapping my forehead, experiencing the sharp flavor for the first time. This process repeated as I ate several more....  

I am fortunate to have grown up with two parents that cook well and enjoy doing it. Mom is the iconic Southern home cook and Dad, the self-proclaimed master of the flame. They are the reason why I have a deep appreciation and love of food, and the reason why I was never a skinny kid! Mom prepared a delicious, home cooked meal every night of the week, and on the weekends, Dad would fire up the grill, smoker or deep fryer.   

Locally, I have been the Chef at J Mac’s and Frederica Golf Club. I have lived on St. Simons Island for seven years, but I have been visiting my whole life.

There is not much that can top one of my simple pleasures, a perfectly roasted chicken. The body cavity allows it to be stuffed with an array of aromatics to enhance its natural flavor, and the skin acts as a seal to keep the flavors and juices intact. My favorite preparation is with lemon & fresh cracked pepper. So, when a friend dropped off a fat sack of local Meyer Lemons, I knew exactly how to use them! I did, however, reserve a few to adorn my go to cocktail—Vodka & Soda.

When preparing a meal, I try look for accompanying side dishes that are in season and local, when available. For this dish, I choose brussel sprouts with local pork belly (uncured bacon) and wild rice as the main components.

Suggestions:

The chicken can be seasoned and stuffed in a multitude of combinations to vary the meal. Here are a few variations:

1. Season with paprika, salt, pepper and olive oil and stuff with cooked chorizo (Mexican sausage), onion, canned white beans, cilantro and lime. Serve with yellow rice and the stuffing.
2. Season with rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil and stuff with rosemary, onion, garlic, bay leaf and lemon. Serve with basmati rice and sautéed mushrooms.
3. Season with blackening seasoning and olive oil and stuff with sliced andouille sausage (spicy Cajun link), onion and canned red beans. Serve with white rice and the stuffing.

• Salt pork, bacon, pancetta (Italian bacon), country ham or prosciutto (Italian cured ham) can be substituted for the pork belly. They all need to be cut similarly into lardons/lardoons (thin strips resembling match sticks), so that the fat renders, and the pieces become crisp.
• Add fennel seed to your peppercorn medley. Empty a 1oz container of peppercorn into a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of whole fennel seed. Mix and place back into the container to use for refilling your pepper mill.
• Have a second pepper mill for salt. It’s cheaper to buy bulk coarse salt than the salt already in the grinders. 
• When using fresh herbs, reserve the stems for making stocks or to use in aromatic stuffings for poultry.
• Blanching water should be salty to the taste, resembling sea water. Cooking time is generally short, so it needs to be flavorful, or the blanched food will be bland.

Note: It is important to realize that these recipes are merely guidelines to follow. They'll taste great as they are, but I encourage you to play with them and make the recipes your own.

Note: It is good practice to read the entire recipe, while paying particular attention to the "Notes", before you try to make the dish, as there are often subtleties that can be easily overlooked, which sometimes, can make all the difference in the world for the outcome. 

Serves 2

Skill Level: Intermediate

Prep time about 25-30 minutes.

Marinade Rest Time: 30 minutes to one hour.

Chicken Rest Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time about 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 each Whole Organic Chicken (3#)
• 2 each Meyer Lemons
• 3 Tablespoon Peppercorn Melange
• 2 Tablespoons + ¼ Cup Kosher Salt
• ¼ Cup + ¼ Cup Extra Virgin and Pomace Olive Oil (mixed)
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 each Medium Sweet Onion
• 1 each Leek
• 2 each Shallots
• 8 each Garlic Cloves
• 8 oz Salt Pork
• 1 Pound Brussel Sprouts
• 1 Cup Wild Rice (Uncooked)
• 2 + ½ Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• ½ Cup White Wine
• 1 Bunch Italian Parsley, Chopped; Stems Reserved

Tools Needed:

• Roasting Pan   
• 4 & 2 Quart Sauce/Stock Pots
• Roasting Rack 
• 6” Sauteuse (commonly known as a sauté pan)
• Measuring Cups  
• 12” Sauteuse
• Measuring Spoons 
• Strainer/Colander
• Chef’s Knife  
• Mortar & Pestle
• Cutting Board 
• Micro Plane Zester
• Mixing Bowl  
• Condiment Dishes

Make the Marinade

¼ Cup Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix and pour over chicken. Let marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Make the Rub 

2 T  Ground Pepper

2 T Kosher Salt

2 ea Meyer Lemons, Zested

Mix and set aside in a condiment dish.

Note: When zesting the lemons, do not get into the white or pith. Usually two gentle strokes is good.

Note:

If using store bought lemons, soak in warm water for 10 minutes and wipe with a dry towel to remove wax.

Preparing the Chicken

Rinse the chicken under cold water. Place in roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Pour marinade over the chicken, making sure to get inside the cavity.

Vegetable Preparation

Thinly slice the onion, leek, garlic and shallots. Reserve 1/3 for stuffing the chicken.

Chop parsley for garnish and reserve stems for stuffing the chicken.

Cut the stem end of the sprouts of and halve each top to bottom. Remove any discolored outer leaves.

Stuffing the Chicken

Rub the inside of the cavity with the lemon pepper seasoning and stuff with the reserved aromatics and one lemon. Then rub the outside with the rest. Pour the wine and ½ cup of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325∞ F.

Note:

Let the chicken sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting.

Making the Wild Rice

After the chicken has been cooking for 45 minutes, bring 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of rice to a simmer with 1 Tablespoon of butter and a pinch of cracked pepper. Stir once, cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes. Once done, fluff with a fork  and hold in a warm spot before plating.

Note:

No salt is needed if using canned chicken broth due to the sodium content.

Do NOT remove the cover during cooking. A pot with a glass lid is best so you can see if the rice has absorbed all of the broth.

Starting the Brussel Sprouts

For cooking purposes, salt pork is similar to bacon. It typically comes from the back fat of the pig where bacon is from the belly. Cut the slices into ¼” wide strip. Over medium heat, cook the pork until crispy, rendering the fat. Remove crisps to a paper towel to hold.

Note:

Taste before adding salt when using salt pork.

Note: Keep the crispy pork out of reach. It tends to become a tasty snack for onlookers. 

Cooking the Brussel Sprouts

Sauté the onion, leek, shallots and garlic in the rendered fat over medium high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Blanch the brussel sprouts in gently simmering water for about 2 minutes, until they turn bright green. Drain immediately, and add to saute pan along with salt pork pieces

Toss the sprouts and salt pork together with the onions and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. 

Finishing the Chicken

After cook time has ended, remove the foil from the pan and change oven temperature to broil low. Pour the pan juices into the sauce pot and bring to a simmer, reducing by 1/3. This will lightly thicken the juices and intensify the flavors. (Optional: Add a couple of dashes of Frank’s Red Hot or Texas Pete.) Finish the chicken under the broiler for about 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. 

While the chicken is resting, add the juice from the roasted lemon to the sauce pot. Reduce and thicken a bit.

Slicing the Chicken

Allow the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes. This allows the internal pressure of the chicken to equalize, keeping the juices in the meat and not on your cutting board. First, slice the leg quarters off. Follow the seam down to the thigh joint, cutting through the cartilage. 

Slice the breasts off, first slicing just off center of the breast bone, and slide the knife down the rib cage and wish bone to the wing joint. 

As with the thigh, slice through the cartilage of the joint.

Plating

Now, it’s time to put everything together! Rice and sprouts are done. Chicken rested and sliced. Pan jus reduced and finished with roasted lemon. 

First, place one spoonful of rice starting at center point of the plate and pointing between the 10 and 11 o’clock positions.  

Now, place a spoonful of the sprouts, cascading off of the rice mound, from 12 to 3 o’clock. 

Lay the leg quarter on the rice and sprouts so that the “knee” points to either 3 or 9 o’clock. 

Lean the breast on the thigh with the wing bone up and the fattest part of the breast  at the 6 o’clock position. 

Now gently ladle the jus around the plate and finish with a sprinkling of parsley.

Serve Immediately and Enjoy

This recipe is courtesy of Chef de Cuisine Connor Rankin of The Half Shell on Saint Sinins Simons Island.