Tour of Fifty States: Delaware's Meal

Duh! I was going to write up the next state and I realized that I forgot to write up Delaware!!  Somebody poke me when I forget!!!

Last December, we went to NY to see relatives, and on the return trip, we detoured to Virginia to see my brothers.  The route we took was down the Delaware peninsula, then through Maryland and then after crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, we were in Virginia.  Get it?  DELMARVA.  The one thing I remember about Delaware was chicken farms.  Poultry is apparently a very big business there!  Many, many tractor-trailers passed us on the road (they were heading North) that were named with various poultry farms’ names, mainly Perdue. The Delaware chicken breed is very popular, as its white feathers leave clean meat when plucked.

Also, the University of Delaware has the Fightin’ Blue hen as its mascot.  So it was obvious when Delaware rolled around, it was time for us to have … you guessed it, chicken!!!

The recipe for the skewered potatoes came from the Post and Courier’s food section (June 1, 2016,) but I modified it.

Menu:  Roasted Chicken, Skewered Red Potatoes, Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
Outcome:  Yummy!  The chicken was great but ordinary, as we frequently have roast chicken but the star of the meal was the skewered potatoes.  They were so good that we’re having them this weekend with the next state meal!  The grilled peaches are from upstate SC – and with the vanilla ice cream, they were just the finishing touch.

Next up:  Bill’s turn!  He chose Washington, D.C! Not a state, but it’s still got unique foods of its own. 

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 whole chickens, giblets and neck removed
• Mrs. Dash (any flavor)

Directions

1. Place two whole chickens in a roasting pan and sprinkle generously with salt-free Mrs. Dash.
2. Bake uncovered for about 2 hours at 425 degrees F until a thermometer placed in the thigh reads 175 degrees F.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit (temperature will rise another 5 degrees.)
4. Cut into pieces and serve.

Serves 6-8

Skewered Red Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 lb. new red potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 1 slice bacon per person
• 1 bottle Italian dressing or other choice of vinaigrette

Directions

The red potatoes should be about ping-pong ball sized – if they are larger, then half or quarter as needed.  

1. Place potatoes into a pot of water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.  Drain, then pour into a large bowl. 
2. Cut the onion in half, then each half into thirds (6ths) and add to the bowl.
3. Cut each bacon slice into 1 inch lengths and add to the bowl.
4. Add about ½ of the bottle of dressing (1 cup) and stir gently to coat everything. 
5. On long metal skewers, thread a potato, piece of onion, and bacon. Be sure to finish the skewer with a piece of onion so the bacon doesn’t fall off.  Repeat until all skewers are filled evenly, one per person.  Save any remaining dressing/vinaigrette for basting while grilling.

   

   Just before going on the grill

6. Place the skewers on a very hot grill, turning frequently until the bacon pieces are cooked through and the onions have a bit of a char on the edges.  Baste each skewer every time they are turned with the leftover dressing, adding more to the bowl if needed. 
7. When serving, grasp the skewer in one hand with an oven mitt – with the other hand, put a fork behind the potato closest to the handle and slide everything off onto the plate. 

 Serves 5.

Grilled Peaches

Ingredients

• 1 peach per person
• Cinnamon
• Ice cream
  
  

Directions

1. Cut each peach in half and remove the pit.  Sprinkle the cut side with cinnamon.
2. On a very hot and clean grill, place the peaches cut-side down.  After about 90 seconds, check for grill (char) marks on the surface of a peach.  When they are ready, turn face up and grill for about a minute more. 
3. Remove from the grill and immediately top with ice cream and serve.

Serves 5.