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  Image via Bakerella at Flickr.

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If there is one thing that Brides Up North absolutely is not, then that’s a foodie blog.  I love food, I just don’t like cooking it.  This lack of kitchen skill probably makes me a less than perfect wife, but I make up for it in other ways. 

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However.  If, like me (*blush*) you are a reader who has discovered and frequents wedding blogs and wedding forums before he has actually popped the question, then you might just want to note this little recipe down.

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Now I’m not saying I’m for duping men into going ring shopping, but… oh wait… I totally am into duping men into going ring shopping!  So here goes…

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According to the great online source of all knowledge – oh yes it is – Wikipedia:  The recipe was developed by Kim Bonnell a fashion editor at Glamour Magazine following a trip to Italy. In 1982, Bonnell gave the recipe to co-worker Kathy Suder to prepare for her boyfriend and soon afterwards, the couple was engaged. The recipe made the rounds in the office and soon three other women in the office were offered marriage proposals soon after making the dish for their boyfriends.

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In 2003, after Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive heard that wedding proposals followed making the recipe, dubbed the recipe "Engagement Chicken" and ran the recipe in the magazine in December 2003. Soon afterwards the magazine began receiving letters from women claiming that their boyfriends proposed shortly after being served the dish. The magazine claims 70 couples have married after the women served their boyfriends the dish^.

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Engagement Chicken

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Recipe via the original at Glamour Magazine

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Serves 2 to 4

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Ingredients:

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1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)

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1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish

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1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt

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1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

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Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley)

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1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

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2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan

fitted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

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3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

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4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

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5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

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6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices. 

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Waiting for him to put a ring on it?  Give it a whirl… and contact me to let me know the results!

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Image © 2012 via Bakerella at Flickr

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