Happy New Year! I hope you had an almost amazing year, considering the fact that the whole world was on fire. Fingers crossed the next one will be better. I’m thankful for every positive thing that happened to me. Making this Roasted Chicken with Orange and Cinnamon was for sure one of the positives.
If I’m looking for something everyone will enjoy, I always go for a whole chicken. If it’s cooked right, it will definitely be the centre piece of your dinner table. Let me tell you something, roasting chicken is one of my guilty pleasures. The end result is flawless every single time! The skin is crunchy and buttery, the meat is super juicy and tender. All this plus some extra spices, oranges and lots of butter to give incredible flavour and the finished dish will be perfect. And it looks amazing.
I’ve used the classic Christmas spices to season the entire chicken – cloves, cinnamon and star anise. The flavour of star anise is quite special, close to liquorice; but if you don’t like it, just omit it. I can’t get enough of it, especially in hot beverages and desserts.
For me, orange is the fruit that always reminds me of this time of year. So I love to cook and experiment with it in many different recipes. The addition of orange juice and orange zest to this Christmas roast helps with keeping the moisture in and adds a much needed acidity. Also, it brightens the flavour profile. The maple syrup and butter glaze helps with the caramelisation process of the skin and adds a sweet accent.
This roasted chicken is packed with flavour, it’s super juicy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside and the incredible scent will make your entire house smell like Christmas.
Roasted Chicken with Orange and Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 kg whole chicken
- 50 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 2 quarters orange
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground star anise
- 2 star anise whole
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- In a small saucepan, mix butter, cinnamon, cloves, salt, orange zest and orange juice until combined.
- Place the chicken on an oven proof dish.
- Use a spoon to gently separate the skin on top of the chicken, making a pocket. Rub ⅔ of the butter mix in the pocket and a little over the chicken.
- Add salt into the cavity and stuff with star anise, bay leaves and the 2 orange quarters.
- Roast for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is roasting, melt the rest of the butter and mix with maple syrup.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the melted butter and maple syrup mixture. Turn down the oven temperature to 180°C. Roast for 40-50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°C. Baste the chicken one time.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven, cover with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
