Herbed, Oranged, and Roasted Chicken

Yes, I did just make ‘orange’ into a verb. This is a very yummy way to prepare a whole chicken – I love the interplay of fresh citrus flavors and herbs. The crispy roasted skin was so amazing I absolutely devoured it – Nick had to rush to the table to get his share, which is not typical. We had no leftovers at all after this dinner. Yes, the two of us polished off a five-pound chicken.

Whole chicken (mine was about 5lbs)
Sea salt
1 lemon
1 small orange
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp rosemary
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

My dinner preparation began the night before. I patted my chicken dry and sprinkled it with salt. I left it in the fridge overnight to dry out – this technique produces a delicious crispy skin, but if you are pressed for time you can certainly skip the overnight drying period.

The next afternoon I began by preheating my oven to 425. Then I placed the herbs, along with the garlic, oil, salt, and pepper, into a small mixing bowl. I added the zest and juice of the lemon, as well as the zest and juice of one orange. This completed my topping mixture.

I situated my bird comfortably in a roasting pan and then continued by loosening the chicken skin with my fingers and stuffed some the topping mixture between the skin and the meat. The rest of the mixture I poured over the chicken and into the cavity, basically trying to cover as much of the bird as I could.

I roasted my chicken at 425 for 15 minutes (a higher heat at the beginning of the cooking time also helps to crisp up the skin) and then turned the heat down to 350. I cooked my bird for approximately 2 hours total, but this time will vary depending on the size of your bird. Again, a good rule of thumb is 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes for every pound of bird, but a good meat thermometer will tell you just when your bird is ready. When your bird is ready, take it out and let it rest for a good ten minutes before cutting into it. I am not usually big on patience, but this step is really important, as it keeps all of those delicious juices from draining out of the bird, and it leaves the meat so much more flavorful and moist.

When your bird is sufficiently rested, carve it up and dig in! I think that sweet potatoes are a lovely compliment to the bright citrus flavors of the chicken, so I served up some baked sweet potatoes with generous dollops of coconut oil and some sprinkled cinnamon.

I am sharing this post at Tasty Tuesday, Delectable Tuesday, Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, What’s On The Menu Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Domestically Divine, and the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.