Roast Chicken Recipe

I was debating whether to post a recipe or talk about a topic that was recently brought to my attention. I decided to post the recipe because time is short today and I want to be able to give the other topic the discussion I think it deserves. So hopefully I'll post about the topic tomorrow. For right now, here's another recipe: roast chicken with port and orange zest.

Before I get into the recipe, I want to insert a brief interlude about cooking alcohol: do not go cheap. I know I've mentioned it before (although I can't remember in which post it was) that you'll want to cook with alcohol that you would actually drink. Now, mind you, there are some very drinkable wines that you can get for only a few dollars (Trader Joe's  Two Buck Chuck comes to mind); I don't have any issue cooking with them. I'm still following the general rule to cook with only what you'll drink. But when it comes to hard liquor (tequila, vodka, cognac, etc.) and things like port, I stay away from the cheapest bottle. You get what you pay for, and the end result--your meal or your beverage--will be better with higher-quality alcohol. Oh, and stay away from anything called "cooking wine." Except if it's Marsala wine, which is rarely used as a table wine.

Okay, now to the recipe. I was actually inspired by a recipe that I had found in my crock pot cookbook. The original recipe was for duck, and despite my hope that the local large supermarket would have said duck there was none to be had. So, I had to improvise and I came up with this. And this is not a crock pot recipe--so don't worry if you don't have one.

What you'll need:
1 whole chicken
2-3 Tbs. olive oil
Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 c. port (ruby port is OK to use)
1 orange

What you'll need to do:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish and set aside (skip if using a non-stick dish). You don't need to wash your chicken (see this USDA article), but remove neck and giblets as necessary. Place breast-up in baking dish.
2. Add the port to a small saucepan and bring to simmering to burn off all the alcohol, about 3-5 minutes. You can also use a metal saute pan (do not use non-stick) and light the port to burn off the alcohol. This step is very important, especially if you have a gas oven.
3. Drizzle half of the olive oil over the chicken, sprinkle with Herbes de Provence, and add salt and pepper. Turn the chicken over so it is lying breast-down in the baking dish. Add the olive oil as you did on the other side. Slowly pour the port over the chicken, then sprinkle on the Herbes de Provence and salt and pepper.
4. Zest the orange and sprinkle the orange zest over the chicken. You can set aside the remainder of the orange and use it later in a gravy made from the chicken's drippings and the port.
5. Put the chicken in the oven and follow a roasting guide for cooking times. A five-pound chicken will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook. The chicken will be done when the temperature of the meat reaches 180 degrees and the juices run clear.

The olive oil is a must for any roast chicken. It will help keep the meat moist and make a nice, crisp skin. I highly recommend using the drippings and port in the bottom of the pan from this recipe to make a gravy. Scooter and I use a flour-milk base for the gravy, add the juices in the bottom of the pan, and use Worcester sauce for flavor. With this particular recipe, add orange juice and even some more orange zest to really bring out the orange flavor and pair it well with the roast chicken. Yum!

If you're feeling really industrious, you can make a salad with cut-up oranges, dried fruit and nuts. You can even roast the nuts briefly in the oven as the chicken is cooking. A raspberry vinaigrette or similar dressing will be light enough to not overpower the flavors of the fruits and nuts. Scooter and I like our blood orange-infused olive oil and strawberry balsamic vinegar. Don't be afraid to experiment!