One of my family’s favorite meals (and they’re fussy). It’s very simple to make but looks pretty spectacular, as the chicken turns dark and glossy because of the honey and the orange wedges become nicely caramelized at the edges. If your chicken is getting too dark as it cooks, cover it with foil.
SERVES 6
Ingredients for the chicken
- 4 lb chicken
- 1 cup orange juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 1½ tablespoons chili sauce, or to taste
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and grated
- Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock or water, if needed
Ingredients for the roast oranges
- 4 thin-skinned oranges
- Olive oil
- A little ground ginger
- A little soft light brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 375°F/175°C. Put the chicken into a roasting pan in which it can lie snugly; if it’s too big, the cooking juices around the bird will burn. Whisk the rest of the ingredients for the chicken (except the stock or water) in a pitcher. Pour some of this inside the bird, then pour two-thirds of the rest over it, reserving the remainder. Roast for 45 minutes.
Cut the thin-skinned oranges into wedges and put them into an ovenproof dish where they can lie in a single layer. Sprinkle with olive oil, ground ginger, and seasoning and turn them over in this to coat, then sprinkle the sugar on top. Roast alongside the chicken for one hour.
When the chicken has cooked for 45 minutes, take it out of the oven, scoop up the sticky juices around it with a spoon, and spread them over the skin. Add the rest of the orange juice mixture to the juices in the pan, stirring well to help them blend, then roast for another 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, put on a warm platter, and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes. If the juices seem too thick or intense, add the stock or water to the pan, set it over high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring to dislodge anything stuck to the bottom. Serve in a pitcher. Add the orange wedges to the chicken platter and take it to the table.
