NakedCity Wichita

oranges

Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by Seth in entertainment

words > TONY ROMANO

photos > SETH NIEMAN & ADAM WILLIAMSON

The weatherman predicted severe weather and several inches of snow today. Am I the only person in Wichita not preparing for the storm?

Four inches too long, the jeans gather globs of snow all the way to the truck, eventually soaking my socks. I should have tucked them into the rubber fishing boots dad handed down, but foolishly decided to leave them home on a mission to find: The Orange Juice.

The grocery parking lot is completely packed when I arrive. A stuffed orange chicken is one of the items on the dinner party menu tonight. Guests will arrive at 7:00 p.m., and that is that. Need juice.

So that ya’ll know, I grew up in Louisiana, and preparing for storms was way different. We had a boat tied up on slip lines, cans of Spam®, water, flashlights, matches, candles, a radio, tons of batteries, a hatchet, and a few other things. The hatchet was on hand in case we needed to chop our way out of the roof from inside the attic. There was lots of water all around where we lived. Growing up on the Bayou was a great life when the weather was nice, but like hell when Mother Nature turned ugly.

Suppose we all have different ideas of “severe” and what kind of preparations are necessary, depending upon where we come from? The friends I’ve made in the last six months here tell me I’m a work in progress. Maybe they’re picking because they like me? It seems kind of funny anyways. After all, a Bayou kid living in Kansas?

After sloshing through the store, I finally find the juice coolers. There are so many different types of juice. There’s No Pulp, Lots of Pulp, Some Pulp, and then there’s juice with Added Vitamins and Minerals, or something like that. There’s some strange juice that really isn’t orange juice, but mixtures of other ingredients—no idea what they are. The container has a big, pretty orange painted on it. Are they trying to trick us into believing this is real juice? I’m not buying it. There are different brands, different colors in different containers. Frozen, canned, and boxed juice on other aisles. All I want is fresh-squeezed orange juice, not from concentrate. Where is it?

Suddenly, an older woman in her 70s approaches me. She asks if I need help finding something. “Not finding this juice is a problem,” I explain, “it’s the only kind used in a scrumptious dish I’m preparing for a party this evening.”

I slip away for a moment, daydreaming—missing the citrus of Louisiana, arguably the best in the U.S. The fertile soil located between the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico is perfect for growing and eating. Each year the growers sell out their produce of Satsuma, Kumquats, Sweet Oranges, and Navels early. Nothing like juice fresh-squeezed by hand! And the smell and taste of them—oh, I miss that!

A touch on the shoulder, along with a sweet smile wakes me.  She’s found the juice. There it is. Bottom left, third cooler— Fresh-Squeezed Not from Concentrate Orange Juice. “Sometimes there are so many choices, its hard to find what you’re looking for,” she says.

“Yes Ma’am. Thank you so much”, I say. “And would you have any idea, what happens to the pulp?” “Well, I really don’t know,” she says. “But if finding pulp is as difficult as finding the orange juice, maybe the answer is not worth finding out!” We both laugh, sharing stories from the past, and how it used to be. As I turn to walk, she smiles again. Raising her index finger she says, “Choices. And remember, too much of anything is not good.”

Thank you my new friend. Another lesson learned.

Stuffed Orange Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, cleaned and patted dry
• 1 box Jiffy^® Cornbread Mix
• 3 slices hickory smoked bacon
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice  (not from concentrate)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped fine
• 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1/2 of a small green or red sweet pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Poultry seasonings
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together Jiffy^® Cornbread Mix, 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk and bake according to directions on the box. Cool, crumble, and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. In a black cast iron skillet, fry bacon until crispy and set aside. Add 1 stick of butter to the drippings, stirring until melted. Add vegetables and cook until clear.  Remove from heat. Add crumbled cornbread and crumbled bacon. In a small dish, beat together 1 egg and 1/4 cup evaporated milk, or heavy cream, then add to skillet as well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle chicken with oil, then season inside-and-out with salt, pepper, and poultry seasonings. Stuff chicken with the cornbread mixture. Tie the legs and wings with cotton twine. Sprinkle orange zest on top before baking.

Place chicken in deep baking dish. Add chicken stock, orange juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and bake 1 hour, basting twice.

After 1 hour, reduce heat to 325 degrees. Remove cover and bake until golden brown and glazed (approximately 15-20 minutes.) Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Carve and serve.

Serves 4 people, including the stuffing and a side salad and dessert. Note: a deep black iron skillet cooks it—nice. Ca c’est bon (Sa say Bohn)—that’s good!

Tags: cooking, food, recipe, tony's naked kitchen