Fresh from the farm brings us Grove Ladder chickens (groveladder.com) Since we have turkey during Thanksgiving I always have a roast duck or chicken to go with Prime Rib. This recipe is one you will use over and over again but the best part is the natural humanly raised local chicken that you can purchase at farmers markets on the Suncoast.
Ingredients
2- 4 pound organic chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons minced orange zest
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/3 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups apricot jam
1 cup fresh orange juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the orange zest and sweat for about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Add the cranberries, pecans, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Place the rice on a sheet pan or a platter to cool.
- Combine the apricot jam, orange juice and remaining zest in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Place the glaze in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer about 10 minutes until the glaze is reduced by half.
- Season the roast chicken with the remaining salt and pepper on the insides and out. Stuff each hen cavity with about 3/4 cup of the cooled rice and place in a roasting pan. Use a pastry brush to spread ½ the glaze on the chicken and place them in the oven, breast side down for 20 minutes.
- Turn right side up, brush with other ½ of glaze and roast until 5 degrees below perfect temp. Allow to rest to continue to cook for approximately 50 more minutes, or until an instant read-thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, and inserted into the rice registers 140 degrees F.
