Elizabeth Barrette
Imbolc celebrates the first signs of the sun’s return and the coming spring. Winter is winding down, but the warmth and life have not yet returned. So this holiday focuses on hope for the future and brighter days to come.
Citrus Chicken
This recipe uses citrus fruits, many of which peak in winter due to growing in warm climates with a different seasonal cycle than temperate regions. Citrus fruits with red, orange, or yellow colors represent the sun. If you wish to include limes or other green citrus, their color can stand for the spring buds soon to emerge.
The other ingredients, such as chicken and dried herbs, are readily available all year round. Chicken represents the abundance ahead. In our coven, we enjoy making chicken because some people like meat but not everyone wants red meat. Herbs bring a magic of their own as well.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60–100 minutes
Servings: 4–6
At least 6 assorted citrus fruits (such as 3 oranges and 3 lemons)
1 inch of fresh ginger root (about 1 tablespoon grated)
1/4 teaspoon pink salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed pepper (black, white, green, pink)
1 teaspoon sweet basil flakes
1 teaspoon sweet marjoram flakes
1 whole chicken (4–5 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch
cotton kitchen twine
Preheat the oven at 350°F for at least 10 minutes. Coat a roasting pan with cooking spray. Add a roasting rack if you have one.
Zest two different citrus fruits, such as an orange and a lemon, into a small bowl. After removing the zest, cut them in half and squeeze the juice until you have at least 1/4 cup of juice. It’s okay if that includes some pulp. Combine the juice and the zest.
Peel a 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger root, then grate it; you should get about 1 tablespoon. Add the grated ginger to the citrus juice.
To the bowl of citrus juice, add 1/4 teaspoon pink salt, 1/2 teaspoon mixed pepper (black, white, green, pink), 1 teaspoon sweet basil flakes, and 1 teaspoon sweet marjoram flakes. Stir the juice to combine the ingredients. Then stir in 1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch until dissolved.
Remove the giblets from the chicken and set them aside; they are not needed for this recipe. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry.
Quarter two different citrus fruits, such as an orange and a lemon. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with as many quarters as will fit; usually you can get one into the neck hole too. Use cotton kitchen twine to tie the ends of the drumsticks together, which holds the cavity closed. Pin the neck hole with a toothpick if necessary. Place the chicken breast-side up in the roasting pan. If there are citrus quarters left over from stuffing the cavity, tuck them around the chicken in the bottom of the pan. Using a pastry brush, cover the chicken with the citrus juice blend.
Put the chicken in the oven. Roast the chicken at 350°F for 15–20 minutes per pound; larger birds take longer. If the skin gets too dark, then cover the chicken with a tent of aluminum foil to minimize further browning. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165°F, the skin is golden-brown, and the juices run clear. There should be no pink showing when the meat is cut open.
Remove the chicken from the oven. Transfer it from the roasting pan to a serving platter. Take off the twine from the drumsticks. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
While the chicken is resting, cut at least two different citrus fruits into slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Arrange a ring of citrus slices in alternating colors around the chicken.
Goat/Sheep Cheese Dip
Imbolc is the time when the spring births begin. Goats have kids and sheep have lambs. So the mothers, previously dried off for the winter, begin to give milk again. This milk is used for many purposes, including the production of soft fresh cheese. The following recipe capitalizes on this seasonal resource.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8–10
zest and juice of half a lemon (about 11/2 tablespoons juice)
8 ounces soft goat or sheep cheese
1/4 cup full-flavor extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pita chips or fresh vegetable spears
Collect the zest and juice of half a lemon, about 11/2 tablespoons juice, and put that in a blender or food processor.
Add 8 ounces soft goat or sheep cheese, 1/4 cup full-flavor extra-virgin olive oil, and 1/4 cup plain yogurt.
Blend until smooth. Scrape the cheese blend into a small bowl.
Use kitchen scissors to cut the fresh herbs into small bits. You need 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil, 1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary. Add those to the cheese blend.
Add 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the cheese blend. Stir in the seasonings until combined.
Serve the cheese dip with pita chips or fresh vegetable spears.
White Hot Chocolate
In the coldest part of winter, when all the world is white, it’s nice to settle down with a hot drink. This variation on hot chocolate uses white chocolate instead of milk chocolate for a subtle and creamy treat. Spices bring out the floral notes.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5–10 minutes
Servings: 8
8 cups whole milk
2 cups gourmet white chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Pour 8 cups whole milk into a saucepan and turn on low heat. Be careful to simmer, not boil, to avoid forming a skin.
This recipe calls for real white chocolate made with cocoa butter, and if it contains vanilla, that should also be genuine and not artificial, hence gourmet. Chop it and measure 2 cups, then add that to the warming milk. Whisk gently until the chocolate melts into the milk.
Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Cut the vanilla bean in half the long way, scrape out the insides, then add the insides and outsides to the milk. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon cardamom.
Heat the white hot chocolate until it steams gently. Remove the vanilla bean shell. Carefully pour the white hot chocolate into 8 mugs and serve.