Delicious Roasted Orange Chicken
Of all the chicken recipes I have posted, this is my absolute favorite. Whole tangerines, peel and all, roast alongside the chicken in a sweetened soy sauce that thickens into a glaze and lacquers the bird. The fruit wedges soften in the syrupy sauce while infusing it with their floral bittersweetness. You can eat the tangerine wedges along with the chicken, which is delicious with its sauce over steamed rice or boiled noodles and your favorite green veggie.
Modified recipe, Genevieve Ko NYT Cooking
Author: Michelle Hanson
Michelle Hanson, MA, RD, LD is Fresh & Natural Food’s Registered Dietitian. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics with a minor in Community Health from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She is a registered dietitian and current member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Michelle has been a nutrition consultant for numerous years as well as a nutrition research director at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Michelle is passionate about food and nutrition and believes in helping people find simple, realistic ways to make healthy eating a part of their everyday lifestyle.
If you are interested in meeting Michelle or have questions for her, you can email her at: michelle@fnfoods.com. She will look forward to meeting you!
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Squeeze 1/4 cup juice from 2 to 3 tangerines into a small bowl; reserve the spent peels. Cut the remaining tangerines into wedges with their peels intact, and set aside. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and cayenne to the tangerine juice and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
3. Generously season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips behind the body. Stuff the tangerine peels and 6 ginger slices into the cavity, then tie the legs together using kitchen twine. Place in a large ovenproof skillet, and scatter the tangerine wedges and remaining 2 slices of ginger around the chicken.
4. Slowly pour the juice mixture all over the chicken, then slide the skillet into the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. Using a large spoon or baster, quickly coat the chicken with pan sauce. Continue basting every 10 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through (20-30 minutes longer). An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast should register 165 degrees.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for about 5 minutes. Discard the ginger and the stuffing inside the chicken cavity. The pan sauce should be syrupy, if not, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat on the stovetop until the sauce is syrupy (about 5 minutes).
6. Serve the chicken whole or carved with the pan sauce glaze poured all over the chicken. YUM!
For those that are sodium conscious, use the Coconut Aminos instead of the soy sauce and rub the chicken with pepper and a salt substitute (if desired).
