There are two crisps walking down the road and suddenly a car pulls up and says “Do you want a lift?”

So the two crisps look at each other and one of them says “No thanks mate, we’re Walkers.”

Today’s operative word is Crispy.

I received the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook for Christmas.

I have all of Ina Garten’s cookbooks because they are filled with simple recipes that always taste amazing.

Foolproof, the new book, is more of the same. Jam-packed with recipes I cannot wait to try.

I decided, for my first crack at the book, to make this crispy themed dinner.

The chicken is baked in a garlicky-lemony bread coating that’s flavored with mustard and wine. It bakes up crispy outside and tender inside.

The potatoes are perfectly crisped using this boil first, then roast cooking technique. The bacon adds a nice smokey flavor.

Finally, if you haven’t made kale chips yet, what are you waiting for? They are perfect here as a light side to round out the dinner, but are equally lovely served alone with a glass of wine as a snack.

Crispy Mustard-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup dry white wine
1 (3½- to 4-pound) chicken, cut up

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.

2. Place the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add panko, lemon zest, olive oil, and butter and pulse a few times to moisten the bread flakes. Pour the mixture onto a large plate.

3. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and wine.

4. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dip each piece in the mustard mixture to coat on all sides, and then place skin-side down only into the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere.

5. Place the chicken on a sheet pan crumb-side up. Press the remaining crumbs on the chicken pieces.

6. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400℉ and bake for another 10 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Serves 6

Crispy English Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher salt and pepper
3 oz pancetta or thick sliced bacon, chopped
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425℉.

2. Cut potatoes into chunks and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water by 1 inch and a tablespoon of salt. Cover pan and bring water to a boil. Uncover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Drain potatoes and return to the saucepan. Shake the saucepan for 5 seconds to roughen the edges of the potatoes.

4. When potatoes are almost finished boiling, place bacon on a sheet pan and roast for 5 minutes.

5. Add drained potatoes, olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the pan with the bacon. Toss with a spatula to mix.

6. Roast for 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisped.

Serves 6

Crispy Roasted Kale

Ingredients:

2 bunches curly kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Fleur de sel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Rinse kale. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Place the kale on the baking sheet.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide kale between 3 baking sheets and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until leaves are crisp. Remove from oven, sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve.

Serves 6

Recipes all from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

Like the Crisp joke to start, musically we are also in Crisp territory from the ever brilliant Randolph’s Leap.

Check out Randolph’s Leap on Bandcamp, where you can also buy the music.

Cheers!