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!

coq au vin for two

I saw a recipe for “Quick Coq au Vin” in last month’s Bon Appetite, which is a shame, because this is not a difficult dish. I’ve also seen (and been served, eeks!) lots of variations with white wine. I do enjoy a buttery white wine sauce, but that ain’t no coq au vin. The red wine marinade and mushrooms give this a lovely beefy flavor.

A traditional coq au vin requires a whole bird (rooster, specifically), cut up for marinating and frying. A traditional coq au vin would also marinate the bird in burgundy, but since I’m not in France and I don’t have batches of home-made table wine kicking around (someday, right?), I picked up a $5 bottle of Portuguese Vinho Tinto at Jerry’s.  So, here is my less-than-traditional, but not blaspheming, go-to Coq Au Vin. For Two.

Coq Au Vin for two

2 leg quarters, or 1.5 lbs chicken parts, skin on
4 cups red wine
4 slices thick-cut bacon,
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp flour
salt

Rub salt into the skin of chicken. Place chicken in a shallow bowl or roasting pan and cover with red wine. Refrigerate and marinate overnight, turn a few times during the next day if you’re able.

marinated chicken

Prep and dice all your vegetables.

diced celery and carrots

Pour 1 cup steaming hot water over dried mushrooms and let soak for 20 minutes.

Cook bacon in a large saute pan until slightly crisp, then move to paper towel to drain. Remove chicken from wine with tongs, reserving wine. Brown chicken in bacon grease, skin side down to start, on each side, about 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Chop bacon into 1 inch slices.

well browned chicken

Heat butter in stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute  until translucent, 5-8 minutes. Add celery and carrots, simmer 10 minutes, and continue stirring.  Add garlic, stir for 2-3 minutes, then add mushrooms and broth. Pour wine over vegetables, bring to simmer. Add chicken and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes – after 20 minutes, add bacon.

vegetables simmering in wine and broth

Use tongs to remove chicken to plate. Add 2 tablespoons flour, stir until absorbed. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

coq au vin - serve with wine and bread!

I was happy to see carrots and leeks make their debut this week. While I try to avoid firing up the oven on a hot summer day, these cute little roots were perfect for a roast.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemon

• 1 4-5 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
• 1/4 cup butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 tbs mixed dried herbs (I prefer a blend of lavender, thyme, sage, rosemary)
• 1 lemon, thickly sliced
• 12 baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
• 6 spring leeks, washed, split lengthwise
• 4-5 baby potatoes, blanched and halved

Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium low heat. Add herbs, stir for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and chill. Can be made 1 day in advance.

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash the chicken and pat dry. With your fingers, separate the skin from the chicken breast. Rub butter between skin and meat, all over the bird. Very lightly rub any extra butter on top of skin – if you add gobs of butter, it will brown too quickly. Add salt and pepper to cavity, then fill with lemon slices. Place vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan, dust with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water or broth, not so much that the veggies are covered. Place rack over vegetables, and the chicken on your rack, breast up. If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can use a casserole dish, just place the chicken directly onto the vegetables. Roast for approx 30 minutes, then tent with foil. Roast an additional 45-60 minutes.

A note on cooking times – a decent instant-read digital thermometer is less than $20. If you plan on roasting anything, just get one. Chicken should be roasted to an internal temp of 190F.

Nothing is better for leftovers than a roast chicken.  First, after carving the bird, I take the carcass, along with some veggies (celery, onions, carrots), salt, peppercorns and cover it with water in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, and simmer for 45 mins. Strain into containers (tupperware or canning jars) and stick in the freezer. This is a great base stock for soups or sauces.

My favorite use of leftover chicken in the summer is chicken salad. My carving skills are less than elegant, so I often end up with a cup or so of shredded bits of meat. I chop this roughly (with skin!), add 2 tbs mayo, the juice of half a lemon, and dried cranberries if I have any.

Placed on home-made bread, with a bit of kale cooked in garlic, this is the ultimate chicken salad sandwich.

More on leftovers tomorrow!