Tom Fitzmorris has lived a very fulfilling life. He was born in New Orleans on Mardi Gras day. He has spent the majority of his life covering the food scene in the Crescent City. Not only is he the local food critic, he has hosted the Food Show on the radio since 1975. Where else except New Orleans can you have a long running radio show devoted to food?
Just because you are a food critic doesn’t mean that you know how to cook. In Tom’s defense, he has written a very popular cookbook, New Orleans Food. It contains many of his interpretations of classic New Orleans cooking. Today I want to feature two recipes that make a great entrée, Roasted Chicken Aline and Pasta Bordelaise. Gather up your ingredients and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Roasted Chicken Aline
This is the recipe that Tom created to replicate the recipe of his mother. He said “if I had to live on just one entrée the rest of my life, this would be it.” His mother would make this dish every Sunday when he was a kid. I think you will find it very addicting.
One (3-3 1/2 pound ) whole chicken
Stems of 1 bunch of fennel, chopped, or tops from 1 bunch of celery
Stems of 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
1/2 orange, sliced
1 good-sized branch rosemary
10 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
Salt-free Creole seasoning or freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 500℉. If you have a convection oven, set it to convect.
Rinse the chicken and remove the giblets. Stuff the cavity with as much of the fennel or celery, parsley, orange, rosemary, and garlic as will fit inside it. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and Creole seasoning or pepper.
Put the chicken, breast side down, on a broiler pan with a rack and set it in the center of the oven. Reduce the oven to 350℉. Roast for one hour and check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. When it reaches about 170℉, turn the oven up to 450℉ and dot the outside of the chicken with small slivers of butter.
Roast the chicken another 5-10 minutes. Check to make sure the juices run clear from the thigh. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Pasta Bordelaise
In Italy, this dish would be called pasta agile olio. In New Orleans, it’s known as Pasta Bordelaise, even though there’s not a drop of red Bordeaux wine in it. It’s a great side dish for any protein.
Salt
1 pound angel hair pasta
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4-8 cloves garlic
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with a tablespoon of salt dissolved in it. Cook the pasta for about 4 minutes, leaving it al dente-firm to the tooth. Drain the pasta, but save about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the pasta and cook until the garlic smells fragrent. Add three tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water and whisk to blend.
Turn the heat off and add the pasta, tossing it with a fork to coat with the sauce. Divide among the plates and serve with grated Parmigiana or Grana Padang cheese.
Tom has cut back on activities. His radio program has been taken over by his wife Mary Ann. If you find yourself in New Orleans on a weekday afternoon, turn in to hear all about the great food of New Orleans. It is currently on WGSO 990 AM from 2-4pm
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