"Chicken in every pot. And a car in every backyard, to boot."

The new Republican idea of prosperity is a Wal-Mart every quarter mile and six lanes on every street, but that's a post for a different blog.

Last night we had Chicken in a Pot for dinner while we watched the State of the Union Address.
I have been living with the false impression that some president or other used this phrase in a speech but, in preparation for my post on this recipe, I found that not to be the case.

Promising a Chicken in Every Pot — Infoplease.com: "The Question:
Which president promised 'a chicken in every pot'?
The Answer:
It wasn't just chicken. During the presidential campaign of 1928, a circular published by the Republican Party claimed that if Herbert Hoover won there would be 'a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.'
Despite a landslide victory over Alfred Smith, the first Roman Catholic to run for president, the Republican Party's promise of prosperity was derailed seven months after Hoover took the oath of office. The stock market crash of 1929 plunged the country into the Great Depression and people eventually lost confidence in Hoover.
During his administration, however, there were several impressive accomplishments. He increased the acerage of U.S. national forests and parks by five million. He also worked out the engineering and funding of San Francisco's Bay Bridge, and re-organized the FBI. Despite these undertakings, American voters couldn't be persuded to elect him to a second term. With the Depression at its lowest point, voters elected Franklin D. Roosevelt to replace Hoover in 1932."

Who says history doesn't repeat itself - except the only impressive thing he did was get us into a war that is sucking us dry financially and we kept him for two terms.

But, regardless of who said what, Chicken in a Pot tastes great, is simple to make and everything cooks in the same dutch oven making clean up quick and easy.

Chicken in a Pot

Ingredients:

1 large chicken

2 Tbs Olive oil

1 Tbs dried rosemary or 2 4-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary

1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

1 pound of packaged baby carrots

8 small red potatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup dry vermouth

2 Tbs flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Put the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt and rosemary in the pot.

Roll the chicken around in the spices and oil to coat it evenly on all sides.

Place the potatoes and carrots around the sides of the chicken then pour in one cup of chicken broth and the wine.

Cover and bake for at least 3 hours.

Remove the chicken, potatoes and carrots to a serving platter. Mix the flour in the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and add it to the cooking liquids in the pot. Stir over a burner on medium heat until it thickens to a gravy. Serve the gravy over the chicken and potatoes.