Christmas Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 whole chicken (4 pounds)
Cranberry Mixture:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 1/2 an orange
Herb Butter Spread:
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage*
1 teaspoon orange zest
Vegetables:
1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes
2 medium yellow onions (cut into wedges)
1 butternut squash (cut into half moons)
1.5 cups cranberries
1 garlic bulb
1 orange (cut into 8 pieces)
1/2 lemon (quartered)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Method
Truss the chicken using kitchen twine.
In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup of kosher salt (or 1/4 cup table salt) in 8 cups of lukewarm water. Let the chicken soak for at least 30 minutes (brining the chicken will make for a juicy chicken!). If you’re going to brine the chicken for longer than 30 minutes, you’ll need to make space in the fridge to place the chicken in the brine bowl in the refrigerator. (Skip the brining step if you’re using a chicken that has already been brined in a sodium solution.)
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the cranberry mixture. Set aside to allow the cranberries to macerate.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the butter spread. Set aside.
To the center of a roasting pan, add the baby potatoes, onions, butternut squash, cranberries, garlic cloves, 6 pieces of orange, and 3 pieces of lemon to make a bed for the chicken. Pour the chicken broth over the bed of vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C).
After the chicken is finished brining, lift the chicken from the brine and drain off any excess liquid. Dry it thoroughly using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Once the chicken is dry, gently lift the skin from the chicken using your fingers to loosen the skin, creating a space for some of the butter and herb mixture to go.
Flip the chicken over so that it’s back side up, and rub it with some of the butter mixture. Flip the chicken back over and place it onto the vegetable bed, breast side up. Rub some of the butter spread under the chicken skin (doing your best to evenly distribute it). Use the remaining herb butter spread to cover the skin on the top and sides of the chicken. Stuff the chicken cavity with the reserved orange and lemon pieces.
Spoon the cranberry mixture (including the juice) around the vegetable bed, then bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 425 F (218 C). After 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 350 F (176 C) and bake for 20 minutes per pound, or until an instant read thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165 F when inserted into the inner thigh area near the breast (but without touching the bone).
Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the oven and serve to enjoy!
This recipe was adapted from keytomylime.com
