Clementine Roasted Chicken

Tis the season for clementines. I have one of those small crates from the supermarket sitting on my kitchen table, and I couldn’t resist throwing them together with something savory.  It’s a bit of a peasant style duck l’orange.

crate of clementines

Clementine Roasted Chicken

bake time: approximately 45 mins
prep time: 15 mins

1 3-5 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
3 clementines: 2 juiced, 1 quartered
1/4 cup honey
4-5 cloves, roughly ground
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 small yellow onion
1 tsp flour * optional

Preheat oven to 375F. Wash chicken, pat dry. Season with salt and pepper on skin and in cavity.

In a small saucepan, combine juice from 2 clementines and flesh (about 1/4 cup), honey, cloves and ginger over medium-low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, remove from heat.

clementine marinade

Peel and quarter a small onion, and place in chicken cavity.  Place chicken in roasting pan.  Pour marinade over both sides of chicken. Scatter remaining clementine in quarters in the pan (rind intact), and place chicken breast down.

marinated chicken

Roast at 375F for approximately 45 minutes – turning over halfway through – or until reaches internal temp of 165F with a thermometer place in the innermost part of the thigh. Place on a platter or cutting board to rest.

I chose to roast my chicken directly the the pan for this recipe so it would soak up the most of the marinade, and I recommend turning halfway through the cooking process so that both sides marinate evenly .

clementine roast chicken

While the chicken is resting, remove the clementine quarters from the roast pan. Pour the pan drippings through a fine sieve into a cup or gravy boat. If you’d like a thicker gravy, add 1-2 tsp of flour and whisk thoroughly. Pour over plated chicken.

clementine chicken and whipped potatoes

Serve with potatoes or rustic bread to sop up that delicious gravy!