Cookbook review: 150 Things to Make with Roast Chicken--and 50 Ways to Roast It

By Tom Mentzer
Scripps Howard News Service
June 4, 2007

In 1928, Republicans promised a chicken in every pot. Eight decades later, cookbook author Tony Rosenfeld is offering a chicken for every plate.

In 150 Things to Make with Roast Chicken--and 50 Ways to Roast It, (Taunton, $14.95) Rosenfeld offers a feathered twist on the quick-cooking craze: roast two chickens on the weekend, eat one for dinner and save the other for an assortment of weeknight meals.

There is a clutch of books on the market offering flocks of recipes based on store-bought rotisserie chickens. But Rosenfeld goes one step further, suggesting a host of ways to cook them at home.

From Moroccan spiced to grill-roasted Jamaican jerk to a garlicky seared version, the range of flavors and techniques is striking. Rosenfeld believes that chicken is a blank slate, just waiting for a bevy of tastes to be splashed upon it. And he makes great use of that palette.

The 150 "leftover" dishes are impressive in their own right, again calling on strong flavors and a great choice of ingredients. Rosenfeld suggests which recipe from the chicken section pairs with recipes in the latter sections of the book, though a plain rotisserie chicken often works just as well.

Rosenfeld draws on many traditional uses of roast chicken, but tosses his own personality into the mix. His curried chicken salad uses apple and cilantro; his Korean bibimbap is gussied up with a sesame chicken instead of beef; he even tosses cranberries and thyme into his chicken Monte Cristo sandwich.

And all is not fowl here. The book wisely provides a wide selection of recipes for side dishes. Tucked in the 60-page spread of roasting recipes, Rosenfeld serves up mini collections of preparations for mashed potatoes, stovetop and roasted vegetables, starchy sides, flavored butters and pan sauces.

The book also teaches the basics, from preparing to brining to cooking the bird. It's these simple extra that really make this book a great value.

Sure, a basic roast chicken with a side of potatoes is one of the purest examples of comfort food around. But the many flavors this books calls to action is a taste bud-friendly example of imaginative cooking.

(Tom Mentzer is a freelance writer. Contact him at tom.mentzer@gmail.com.)