Dinner With Friends...
These holiday favorites are the ultimate easy comfort foods...the Chocolate Pot De Cremes are especially divine in individual containers.



Roast Lemon-Rosemary Chicken
My sister-in-law Ginny- (actually more like a sister-) always roasts her chickens with fresh lemons inside. We love the addition of fresh rosemary- always so plentiful here in Beaufort!!

• Fresh whole chicken (preferably free-range) rinsed
• Best quality olive oil, preferably organic
• Half a cup of water
  
• 2 lemons, washed and halved
  
• 10 or more garlic cloves
• 6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Sea salt, as desired
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fingerling potatoes
• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
  

Directions:

• Remove parts from inside chicken cavity, rinse, and dry with paper towel
• Place bird in roasting pan to which you have added a generous splash of olive oil and a half cup of water
  
• Squeeze the lemons over the chicken and place inside the bird, with several of the garlic cloves and a sprig of fresh rosemary
• Bake in a 325ºF oven for 45 minutes. Two or three times during the cooking process, brush more olive oil onto the chicken
• After 45 minutes scatter the fingerling potatoes, the onions ,remaining garlic cloves, and two more rosemary sprigs (save some for garnish) around the chicken, and roast for an additional 45 minutes to an hour, until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced
  
• Continue to baste the bird, potatoes and onions during the remaining cooking time, splashing on a bit more olive oil as needed
  
• Remove the pan from the oven, place the chicken on a cutting board, tent the chicken with foil, and let it rest for 10 or so minutes before carving
• Place the carved chicken on a platter, surrounded by the vegies. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs
• Heat the juices from the roasting pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Scrape down the brown bits and add additional chicken stock as needed to make the sauce. Mash the garlic cloves into the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary with salt & pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve with chicken.

Roast Asparagus with Parmesan
Prepare this while the bird rests...

• One pound of fresh asparagus, rinsed
  
• Best quality olive oil, preferably organic
• Parmesan Reggiano, freshly grated
• Salt and Pepper
  

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Line a cookie sheet with foil
• Peel the asparagus with a potato peeler, and trim the bottoms
• Lay spears on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast in preheated oven until fork tender (we like ours somewhat crisp!)
• Open oven, sprinkle over Parmesan and continue to roast until melted
• We like to add additional grated Parmesan at table