Those Late Night Infomercials

Pesto Rotisserie Chicken

For those who don't know me I'm a self proclaimed techno curmudgeon. This post may come as a shock for some, but for a long time I was proud of not owning a blender. Margaritas are better on the rocks! When it comes to making ice cream I prefer an old White Mountain hand cranker to a Rival electric. Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally anti-appliance, I'm loyal to my rice cooker and kitchen aid mixer. But as a kid I seem to remember that the Farberware rotisserie never left the cupboard. To this day my mother fails to recollect just what she used it for.

Sometime back I got into a heated conversation with my sweet friend Sarah about kitchen appliances. Sarah threw down the challenge of roasting a chicken in an abandon Ronco Showtime Rotisserie that her dad bought one late night several years ago while battling insomnia and a mid life crisis. This of course was more of an ethical crisis than a cooking challenge. Could I turn out a bomb chicken in this contraption and live with myself afterward?

Half dozen chickens and one turkey later using Ronco's self proclaimed "set it and forget it", I am convinced if the Showtime is this good, the Ronco Pocket Fisherman really must be the " fishing invention of the century". Don't worry, I haven't made room for a Showtime anywhere in my kitchen, and don't think this means you can give me a electric carving knife for Christmas.

The Recipe

This pesto is slightly modified from the recipe I picked up from throwing dough at pizza my heart back it the day. I will divulge the full pesto recipe in the future.
20minutes prep

Ingredients:

Go buy yourself a basil plant from Trader Joe's if you don't already have one.
you need a good hand full of basil leaves.

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts, Walnuts are a good substitute
one clove of garlic finely pressed.
salt and pepper to taste.

1 whole chicken for roasting

Hardware needed:
Ronco Rotisserie, or it could be done with a roasting pan and oven.
food processor for pesto
butcher twine

What to do:
Add handful of basil leaves pressed garlic clove and toasted pine nuts with a pinch of salt and pepper to food processor. PULSE


Don't add any oil to your pesto mixture the chicken doesn't need any help.

The next step is to loosen the skin on your chicken and smear your pesto mixture under the skin. Use butcher twine to tie down the legs and wings.

" Set it and forget it!"

15 minutes per pound is what Ron Popeil recommends

Steamed red onions and green beans

fingerling potatoes roasted with fresh oregano and shallots

Pesto chicken