Make Ahead
Simple Roast Chicken with Oranges and Rosemary
- Serves 4 hungry kids, with enough for Dad too!
Author Notes
This is a variation on the typical roast chicken with lemon and thyme. My four kids love it -- they practically tear the chicken apart with their hands when I set it down on the table. I usually roast two at time -- one for that evening and one for leftovers in the fridge. Sometimes I use thyme in place of the rosemary if that is what I have on hand. The pan juices are nice and sweet and make a quick sauce with the addition of a little flour and butter. Serve with roasted sweet potatoes, green salad and crusty bread for an easy supper. —mamariz
What You'll Need
Ingredients
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1 3 1/2-5 pounds
Chicken (preferably organic)
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1 tablespoon
kosher salt
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2 teaspoons
freshly ground black pepper
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1 bunch
rosemary or thyme
-
1
head of garlic
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1/4 cup
extra virgin olive oil
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2
oranges
Directions
- Rinse chicken well, inside and out, and pat dry.
- Make marinade: In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper and olive oil. Remove leaves from several sprigs of rosemary and chop. You want about 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs. Remove skins from and crush 4 cloves of garlic. Add rosemary and garlic to bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place chicken in a large bowl or ziplock bag. Pour marinade over chicken.
- Halve 2 oranges and squeeze some (but not all) of the juice over the chicken.
- Cut head of garlic (minus the 4 cloves used earlier!) in half and stuff into chicken along with several sprigs of rosemary and the oranges halves. Truss chicken to keep it looking neat. Let marinade for about an hour (or more if you are sleep-deprived mother who has to prep dinner the night before like I do).
- When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 425. Once the oven reaches the set temperature, remove chicken from marinade and place on a shallow roasting pan. A shallow pan is best for getting a nice golden color. I use the bottom of my broiler pan.
- Put the chicken in the oven, legs facing the back of the oven if your oven is deep enough, and immediately reduce the temperature to 375. Roast for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until your instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees when stuck in the deepest part of the thigh.
- Remove chicken to a platter and let rest for about 10 minutes. Make a quick pan sauce. Pour pan juices into a measuring cup and skim off the fat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the roasting pan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and cook for a couple of minutes until the raw flour taste is gone. Whisk in pan juices and chicken broth or white wine to desired consistency.
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