Bea’s Chicken
Beatrice Hamilton was a short, feisty woman who worked at my parents’ restaurant. Working at the restaurant all the time, I got tired of the usual fare, so Bea would fix me different things. This was her specialty. “I used to fix this ev’ry Sundy for a family I used to work for,” she’d say. “I caint undersand how they could eat the same thing EV’RY SUNDY.”
Oh Bea, I can! Like most recipes like this, it is only a close approximation of the original. I’ve never been able to recreate the exact flavor of this simple chicken, but I’ve come close. Maybe it’s because I don’t have that wonderful old oven in the bakery that didn’t have a thermostat….
1 3-4 lb. chicken, halved
3 tbls. Lea & Perrin Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Season chicken halves liberally, inside and out, with salt and pepper, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Tuck wings under and place on shallow baking pan. Bake at 375 for one hour. Cover if chicken browns too quickly. Continue baking at 325 until done. Skim pan juices of fat and serve with chicken. Delicious with white rice and collard greens.
