Orange Spiced Roast Chicken

Notes/Suggestions:  This is a wonderfully fragrant dish, that will surprise you.  Serves 6 with leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients:

  • 2 2lb-2.5 lb roasting chickens
  • 2 oranges
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Remove giblets from inside the chickens, rinse the birds well inside and out and pat dry.
  3. Arrange the birds in a roasting pan in a way that they do not touch. The use of a roasting rack is optional.
  4. Zest the oranges so that you have at least 2 Tbsp of orange zest, more is okay. Cut the oranges into quarters and squeeze out the juice then put the skins into the cavity of the chickens.
  5. Put the butter into a glass container and melt in the microwave.
  6. Mix the orange zest, juice and spices into the butter. Brush the butter mixture onto the chickens as evenly and liberally as possible.
  7. Put the chickens into the oven for about 2 hours.  If the tops of the chickens are getting too brown, tent them with aluminum foil during the cooking process.
  8. The chickens are done when the meat thermometer stick into the thickest part of the bird reads 185, or when you cut into the leg joint and the juice run clear.
  9. Let the bird rest for 15 miuntes covered with aluminum foil before carving. 

Serve with Orange Rice:

Note/Suggestion:  If time is not on your side, just make the rice with the zest, juice and water and forget the onion, ginger and currants.  It is still delish!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup basmati rice (or any medium or long grain rice handy)
  • 1 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth or water
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 -2 Tbsp of currants or chopped raisins (optional)

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot. Sauté onions until translucent and tender, but not brown.
  2. Add the rice and toast for about 3 minutes until they appear shiny.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
  4. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes more. Fluff and serve.