Roast Chicken with Citrus and Aromatics

While nice presentation might increase the appetite for a specific dish, there are certain classics that will always be welcome even without the fancy looks. As you will see from the photo, this dish could have been fancier looking, but as you read the recipe you come to realize that it is very flavorful and superbly aromatic and needs no time wasted in making look good what you know will taste good!

From the Restless Chipottle blog: (to make this recipe kosher, I just changed the butter to margarine)

Photo by: http://restlesschipotle.com/index.php/2010/12/19/roast-chicken-with-citrus-and-aromatics/

Ingredients

• 1 5-6 lb whole chicken
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbs culinary lavender
• 1/2 tbs cardamom
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup unsalted margarine, softened

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Place rack in roasting pan.
3. Mix the cardamom, lavender, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup margarine and shape into a ball
4. Clean chicken thoroughly inside and out and pat dry with paper towel.
5. Cut the orange and lemon in half and place in the cavity of the chicken.
6. Add the rosemary sprigs and the margarine mixture.
7. Melt the remaining margarine and rub over skin of the chicken.
8. Salt and pepper the skin.
9. Place in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until done. Bast several times by spooning pan juices over the bird.
10. Remove contents of cavity and discard.
11. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 6

The lavender and cardamom, give this recipe a bit of a Sephardic feel. I can almost see it as a refreshing variation of Moroccan Chicken Tadjine. I’ll have to make it tonight, I can just imagine what the aroma will be throughout the house. I could even pair it with a Duvel beer or a Blue Moon Belgian Ale. Either one will nicely complement the citrus taste…MmmMMmmmmMMmm!

CS