Another Roast Chicken...

Haven't been cooking very much lately. But for the holiday I decided to try out a new recipe that has been on my list for a long time. Roast Chicken, and it's so easy, even with the basting this recipe called for. I didn't cover it until I realized it was starting to burn. Ha, I figured that out without the smoke alarm this time! So the only thing I would change is that next time I would start out tenting it with foil first. Take it off to brown after a little while instead of burning it first and then covering!

Roast Chicken with Orange, Lemon, and Ginger
(Pollo Arrosto All'Arancia, Limone, e Zenzero)
Source: Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein
Printable Recipe

1 lemon
1 roasting chicken, about 5 pounds
Grated zest of 1 lemon, then lemon cut into quarters
Grated zest of 1 orange, then orange cut into quarters
3 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger root
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons margarine, melted, or olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
Orange sections for garnish

Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Cut the lemon into quarters. Rub the outside of the chicken with one of the lemon quarters, then discard. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon and orange zests and 1 tablespoon of the grated ginger. Rub this mixture evenly in the cavity. Put the lemon and orange quarters inside the bird. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. In the now-empty small bowl, combine the melted margarine or olive oil, lemon and orange juices, honey, and the remaining 2 tablespoons ginger. Mix well.

Place the chicken in the oven and roast, basting with the citrus juice mixture at least 4 times during cooking, until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. (Mine took way, way longer than that! It was a big Perdue Roaster)

Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve the chicken. Garnish with orange sections.

Variation: Use 4 tablespoons pomegranate juice in place of the lemon juice.

Next time I'd skim the fat, strain and reduce the juices and make a sauce for it.

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