Simple Cooking – Orange/Honey Roast Chicken

On a rainy day like today, all we want to do is stay inside in our PJs, drink hot chocolate and read a good book. Unfortunately, most of us have jobs and damp commutes to work to make our day slightly less cozy. This dish is an easy way to get that cozy feeling back at the end of the day. In just over an hour, you can roast a chicken that will make your family or guests groan with pleasure – or, if it’s just you, you can sit back after eating with a contented sigh, knowing you’ll have tasty leftovers for the next day. This recipe makes the most moist chicken we’ve ever tasted, covered with a sweet, golden skin.

Orange Honey Roast Chicken

1 Roasting Chicken (about 3-4 pounds)
4 navel oranges
1/2 cup honey
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp paprika or cumin
Assorted Vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, potatoes)
Olive Oil
Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Rub all over with olive oil and salt, like you’re giving the chicken a massage. In a large roasting pan, put the vegetables, roughly cut up. Then, put the chicken on top.

I like serving the vegetables plain, as a side dish, seasoned with the sauce from the chicken. If you have a low rack, you can rest it on top of the vegetables and put the chicken on it – this gives some clearance between the chicken and the veggies and helps hot air to circulate and cook everything better.

In a small bowl, juice the oranges and add the honey, garlic and paprika/cumin. Whisk well. Using a baster, put about 3/4 of the juice on the chicken and put in the hot oven. Roast for approximately 1 hour, or until the interior temperature is 155 degrees. Every 10 minutes, rotate the roasting pan back to front and baste, adding extra sauce if necessary. When the chicken is done, take it out and rest it on a plate, covered in foil, for at least 5 minutes – this will finish the cooking process. Carve and serve!

Feel free to use different fruits here – whatever citrus you have around is fine. This recipe can be excellent with tangerines or clementines, and blood oranges would give it a dramatic color and a more complex taste.