Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook: Better Home Cooking Hardback - 2010

Excerpt

Recipe:
Herb-Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Sage
Serves 4
 
1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) whole chicken, patted dry with paper towels
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 bunch of fresh sage leaves (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise (for whole chicken only), optional
3 celery stalks, cut crosswise into thirds (for whole chicken only), optional
1 large onion, peeled and cut into large chunks (for whole chicken only), optional
 
for a whole chicken
 
1. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add the oil, lemon, and sage; toss well. Cover
tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours.
2. The next day, let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while
the oven preheats to 450°F.
3. Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with the seasoning. Remove the lemon
slices and sage from the marinade and stuff them inside the chicken cavity. Scatter the carrots, celery, and onion, if using, over the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour just enough water into the pan to cover the bottom. Arrange the chicken, breast side up, on top of the vegetables, if desired, or place the chicken on a roasting rack over the vegetables.
4. Transfer the pan to the center oven rack; roast for 20 minutes. Baste with the
pan juices, and continue roasting, basting once or twice, for 25 minutes more
(if the chicken is not golden brown all over at this point, continue to cook for 10 more minutes).
5. Reduce the heat to 325°F. Finish roasting, without basting, until an instantread
thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let the chicken stand for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan juices and vegetables, if desired.

Media reviews

Lavish photographs complete this worthwhile, appetizing collection that will delight cooks, not to mention the people they feed.
– Publisher’s Weekly

"The Blue Ribbon Cookbook shows Bruce and Eric’s passion for creative cooking. It would be nice to have some of these meals at the training table."
—Lance Armstrong

"Blue Ribbon is the original late-night New York City chef hangout—and for good reason. They serve the kind of delicious, low-impact, high-flavor, unpretentious food that we all like to eat. Now it’s all here between these covers, the Bromberg Brothers’ Greatest Hits."
—Anthony Bourdain

"While I’m not sure it’s smart for me to choose making Blue Ribbon chow over just making a reservation, I’m psyched there is more Ribbon in the world. The food is phenomenal and the brand world-class."
—Billy Bush

"People always ask me, ‘Why is Blue Ribbon the unofficial clubhouse for New York chefs from all over the city?’ The answer is easy—it has the food we want to eat!"
—Bobby Flay

"From Marrow Bones to Salt and Pepper Shrimp, from Paella to the mythic Fried Chicken—all the hits are here and they make me silly-happy to this day, just as they did when I first tasted them. This book is a significant piece of NYC gastrohistory and will undoubtedly be on my most-used shelf as I teach my kids these dishes for years to come."
—Mario Batali

"What I love about the Blue Ribbon restaurants is that the food is sophisticated without being overly complex. I love having a go-to cookbook where I can find recipes to prepare an impressive meal for friends without feeling like I just ran a marathon."
—Julianna Margulies

"With this new cookbook, the go-to late-night dining spot for New York City chefs will be available at any time of day in kitchens across America."
—Tom Colicchio