The 1 Meal Ina Garten’s Made the Most Is a Barefoot Contessa Classic
Ina Garten is a Food Network star. The host of the longtime cooking show, Barefoot Contessa, she’s also a successful cookbook author. The 72-year-old has many recipes that fans of hers adore but two of her Barefoot Contessa recipes are tried and true staples in the Garten household.
Ina Garten’s food philosophy centers around simplicity
Watch an episode of Barefoot Contessa and it’s clear from the start Garten’s not going to make something overly involved. She wants to have fun in the kitchen which means making simple dishes that are anything but boring.
More importantly, when she sets out to cook for a dinner party she wants it to be as stress-free as possible so she can have more time to spend with her guests. Driving her approach home is the fact that Garten’s catchphrases on Barefoot Contessa reflect just how laidback she is in the kitchen.
She says things such as, “How easy is that?” and “Store-bought is fine” to her TV audience reassuring them that food doesn’t have to be complicated or completely made from scratch to taste good.
She makes 2 classic Barefoot Contessa recipes the most
In 2017, Garten sat down for a Q&A session with Bon Appétit. After some either-or questions — Brownies or cookies? (“Both”), Butter or olive oil? (“Lots of butter”) — Garten shared the meal she makes the most often.
“Roast chicken and French apple tart,” she told the publication.
Both are classic recipes of Garten’s that embody everything about her food philosophy. Her Perfect Roast Chicken recipe is probably the dish she’s most famous for. Even Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has praised Garten’s roast chicken.
People can’t stop raving about the Barefoot Contessa’s Perfect Roast Chicken on Food Network’s website. The dish has five stars and 1,270 reviews and counting.
As for the French apple tart, it’s another of Garten’s simple recipes that’s a hit with just about anyone who makes it. The recipe has 402 reviews on Food Network’s website and five stars. Clearly, another recipe that’s gone over well with Garten’s fans.
What Ina Garten will never make at home
While Garten’s probably made roast chicken and French apple tart so many times she has the recipes memorized, there are a few things she’ll never make in her Hamptons kitchen.
As previously mentioned, Garten won’t make time-consuming dishes.
“There are things that just take too much time, like Bouillabaisse. It takes a long time to make a classic Bouillabaisse or a duck confit,” she once told Food and Wine.
She doesn’t forego the dish altogether but rather saves it for a night out.
“I love to order them in restaurants. If I spent two days making dinner for my guests, and they eat it in two hours, they can’t possibly appreciate it enough. I think those are great [at restaurants],” she said.
Another food Garten won’t prepare? “Anything that has to do with a demi-glace,” she told Food and Wine. “I can make a demi-glace but who wants to? Whereas at a restaurant, they have people that do that.”
For more on the Barefoot Contessa, check out her 10 most popular dishes on Food Network.
