章 30: Chapter 30

“I stuffed the birds with thyme, onion, and half a vanilla bean. It’s a bit unusual I know, but I think it adds an extra layer of subtle flavor.”

“Vanilla, that’s it!” Liam said before pushing another forkful into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed and took a drink of his bottled beer. “I love vanilla. Never had it in chicken though.”

Barry smiled. There was another benefit of having Bess dine with them. The men didn’t talk with their mouths full.

“How did you get the skin of the chicken so crispy?” Bess asked.

“I coated it in butter then sprinkled on some salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I’ve found that if you roast the chicken at a high temperature it crisps the skin by melting the fat. Then you can lower the temperature and cook the meat.”

“I’ll have to remember that, too.”

Barry nodded, wondering how Mr. Wilson would react to having chicken served at his table. Maybe Bess would wait until he went on one of his fishing weekends.