Week 2: Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken

Tastes Like Chicken

I’m a sucker for roasted chicken.  I love it.  In a pinch, when I’m driving home from work and feel too exhausted to cook, a quick stop at the local grocery store and a rotisserie chicken will do just fine.  A little bird will feed my husband and me for several meals, and there is so much you can do with the leftovers!  But here is a secret... working with chicken actually grosses me out a little.  And if I stopped at the store for a rotisserie chicken because I was too tired to actually cook dinner, you can bet I’m not going to have the energy to pick off all the yumminess that remains from the poor little carcass.  This means that the following day I’m left picking through cold chicken and gagging over that disgusting yellow wiggly gelatinous nastiness left on the bottom of the container.  I know.  It’s gross.  But you all know exactly what I’m talking about.   

That is why I was so excited to find this week’s recipe on the blog The Comfort of Cooking, by Georgia Johnson (found here).  It is roasted chicken without using the whole bird, which meant no scavenging  the bones for leftovers!  A couple packages of legs and thighs and I was good to go!  Because there are only two of us in my household, I froze half the recipe.  I guess I was planning on this dish being a winner.  I’m sure I will be thankful I did this in a couple of weeks when I am, once again, too tired after work to muster up the energy and actually put thought into dinner. 

OHMYGOODNESS!  I wish I could share with all of you the amazing aroma this recipe produced!  The scent of the oranges and lemons mixed with the fresh garlic, thyme, and rosemary was unbelievable.  As delicious as it smelled, it tasted even better.  Like my mom, I needed to cook it for an additional 15 minutes.  The chicken was tender and crispy in all the right places.  I paired my chicken with rice pilaf and green beans.  Okay Mom, maybe not the green beans, BUT I think they would have been a great healthy addition!      

Mom

Herb and citrus roasted chicken...What's not to love?

After reading this recipe, I immediately thought it would be too sweet and I wasn't sure if that was something I would enjoy.  In my mind, I was already substituting limes for the oranges.  Much to my surprise, it wasn't necessary. I used enough chicken, 7 pieces, to allow for leftovers, but still made the marinade for the larger serving - I find there's never enough gravy or marinade in most recipes to satisfy me.  I also marinaded the chicken for several hours.  I used a cast iron skillet to roast the chicken, just because I like cast iron.  I followed the recipe, sans paprika, which has somehow been misplaced, or simply disappeared.  I had to cook the chicken 15 minutes longer than recommended in order to achieve a crispy exterior.

I served it with oven roasted potatoes and a salad.  My husband and I found the chicken to be moist and flavorful, with a delicate hint of citrus.  We liked it so much, we reheated it in the oven the next evening.  The left over marinade from the roasted chicken was spooned over microwaved steamed cauliflower and broccoli - yum!

Bottom Line - It passed the "Honey, would you eat this again?", with a thumbs up.  It's on the Make Again List.

Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken

YIELD: Serves 6

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
• 2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 10-12 pieces (about 4 1/2 lbs.) bone-in chicken parts (thighs and legs are best), pat dry
• 1 medium onion (any kind), thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, or fresh chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
2. Place chicken in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place parts skin side up and spread them out evenly in the pan. Pour olive oil mixture all over chicken, turning pieces to coat all sides.  Arrange slices of lemon, orange and onion around and under the chicken. Sprinkle thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.  
   
   
   
   
3. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Remove parts to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs.

Nom. Nom. Nom.