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Happy Father's Day 2020

Published: Jun 21, 2020 · Modified: Jan 19, 2021 by Michael Ruhlman · 8 Comments

rip-and-michael
Me and my dad, circa 1968

Wishing happy Father's Day to all fathers, especially those many fathers without fathers. My extraordinary dad died twelve years ago and I miss him as much now as I did then, if not more. The pain of the loss is gone but the lasting effects of his absence never go away.

It is the happiest of stories, Christopher Buckley reminds us in his great memoir, Losing Mum and Pup: The grandfather dies, the father dies, the son dies. A reminder also to appreciate those we love while we can, especially around a big table of food! My dad was never so happy as when he was feeding people, which certainly affected my love of the same, and of food and cooking. Thanks for that, Dad, and for everything else.

On this Father's Day, I'm reposting his own butter baste for grilled chicken, how I miss it, and him. Happy Father's day all.

Rip's Tarragon Butter Baste

Make this baste and slather your chicken with it as it cooks over live coals.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Course: Baste for Grilled Chicken
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • juice from ½ lime
  • 3-finger pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 stick butter, cut into 5 chunks
  • 1 tablespoon mince tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder

Method
 

  1. Combine the lime juice and salt in a small sauté or sauce pan then set over high heat. Just as the juice begins to simmer, add the butter a chunk at a time, swirling continuously until the butter is completely melted. Add the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat.
  2. This will make enough baste for one whole chicken. My dad bought spit broilers, but you can also cut the chicken up or spatchcock it, a word he'd have loved.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Allen

    June 21, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    Know him well through you, its been a long time. Old Overholt, the flowers that bloomed from his ashes, the aged eggnog, the beer vinegar & the super kind Michael Symon.
    Your looking much more like him, you should be proud. Hope you have a great Father’s Day.

    Reply
    • Michael Ruhlman

      June 21, 2020 at 3:46 pm

      Thanks Allen, grateful.

      Reply
  2. Carole

    June 21, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    What a lovely tribute.. guess who dressed you two alike & took the photo.. how blessed we are for our memories
    ❤️❤️

    Reply
    • Michael Ruhlman

      June 22, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Thanks, Mom, and you probably took the photo. You're the best. I'm a lucky son.

      Reply
  3. Lisa

    June 22, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    Lovely sentiment, thank you. The saddest day of my life was when my dad passed. He was the kindest, funniest and most supportive of fathers. Growing up he always cooked Saturday night dinner and it was usually scrambled eggs, bacon and tater tots. Never got old and always delicious. His favorite quick dessert was a bowl with saltine crackers in the bottom, applesauce on top and a drizzle of milk. Divine! I miss him every day. Happy Father's Day to you.

    Reply
    • Michael Ruhlman

      June 22, 2020 at 2:02 pm

      Thanks for the memories, lisa. But I'll have to trust you on the dessert!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        June 22, 2020 at 3:07 pm

        HAHA raising seven kids in the 60s, you do what you can! It was always a favorite cuz Daddy made it.

        Reply
        • Lisa

          June 22, 2020 at 4:55 pm

          And he always grated nutmeg over the top.

          Reply

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Hi, I'm Michael Ruhlman, an award-winning author and cook who writes about chefs, food and cooking, among other things.

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Hi, I'm Michael Ruhlman, an award-winning author and cook who writes about chefs, food and cooking, among other things.

More about me →

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

See my books!

Ratio App for iPhone

After I wrote my book Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, a colleague and I built a ratio calculator for iPhones that allows you to cook without recipes. For doughs, batters, custards, sauces, stocks and more, simply plug in the amount of one ingredient and the amounts of the other ingredients are instantly calculated. It's also a handy reference for dozens of our most common preparations. ($4.99 in the app store.)

Collaborate

I’ve collaborated on a dozen books, including cookbooks and a memoir. If you'd like to collaborate on a project, please contact my agent, Gail Hochman, [email protected], at Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.

For speaking engagements contact, Kip Ludwig, [email protected].

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