a lot riding on the grand opening, and she wanted the Inn’s food to make a good impression from the start.
She’d already seasoned the raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper and put them in the oven, so she got straight to work preparing the roux for the Golden Chicken while Taylor focused on the Baked Rice Milanaise.
He eyed the recipe card. “Are you sure people are going to like this? It’s not fancy.”
She shrugged, her own doubts resurfacing. “I don’t know, but Davina’s notes said it was a popular dish. If nothing else, it’ll add a nice historical element to the party.”
When the oven timer rang, she pulled the chicken out and set it on a rack to cool before slicing. She returned to her sauce, finishing it with an egg yolk and a splash of lemon, then seasoning to taste.
Across the wide table, Taylor’s knife flashed through the tough skin of a green pepper, sending minced bits of vegetable into a pile on the cutting board. Without looking up, he said, “You’re chopping the onion, right?”
“What onion?” Her chicken dish didn’t call for any onion.
“Oh.” He chuckled as he swept the small pieces of vegetable into a bowl. “I’m so used to us working together in the kitchen. I totally forgot we were making different things.”
She laughed. “No problem. I’m actually almost done with this, so I’ll put it in the warmer and then get started on the onions.” She pointed the wire whisk at him, and teased, “But remember, I’m the head chef in this kitchen.”
He grinned and saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”
She minced the onions for Taylor’s dish and brought the cutting board over to the stove, where he was just adding the green peppers to some olive oil he’d heated in a frying pan. He dumped the onions in and stirred. Delicious aromas wafted upward from the mixture.
He sniffed the air appreciatively, “You know, you just can’t go wrong with onions and green pepper.”
“I agree.” She smiled. It was nice being back in the kitchen with him, working in tandem. When she’d been employed at the Lodge, they’d always had the innate ability to communicate without words while creating amazing food for their guests. She missed that sense of closeness.
Once the peppers and onions were soft, he mixed them with the rice he’d boiled on another burner. He then threw in a few final ingredients, scooped everything into a casserole dish, and popped it into the oven for a quick bake.
While it was cooking, Meg set a table for two tucked into the corner of the kitchen. Taylor moved the cutting board and knife to the sink, then wiped down the counter, his long arms sweeping across the stainless-steel surface like it was no bigger than the table she was setting. He continued cleaning the other areas they’d used as she loaded the dishwasher. When the rice dish was ready, he took it out of the oven and set the bubbling casserole on a trivet at the table.
He eyed it dubiously. “Well, at least it smells good.”
“I'm sure it will be fantastic.” She put a few slices of chicken on a couple of plates, then ladled the aptly named golden sauce over the meat and brought the plates to the table.
Taylor inserted a serving spoon into the rice concoction, releasing a cloud of lightly scented steam that made Meg’s mouth water in anticipation. They sat down across from each other and he served up two hearty portions of rice.
“Bon appétit!” Taylor said before cutting into his chicken. He lifted it to his mouth and held it there for a few seconds, breathing in its aroma like he was tasting a fine wine. He chewed, then swallowed. “Hey, this is really good.”
“Is it?” Meg tasted the rice dish. “Actually, this is too.” She ate a few bites of chicken, making sure to liberally coat it with sauce to get the full effect. She set her fork down and regarded Taylor. “Have you ever considered we might be food snobs?”
He laughed, his eyes twinkling merrily. “We’re definitely food snobs.” He pointed his fork at his plate. “But I’d serve these in my restaurant any day. Davina was onto something with her recipes.” His gaze flickered over to the casserole dish. “However, the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. For the party, we can serve this in small bowls, but if I was serving this at the Lodge, I’d probably make each portion individually in its own porcelain