Garlic Herb Roast Chicken with Oranges
Kokoba’s door-to-door delivery made it super simple for me, to make a delicious Roast Chicken at home.
It was my parents’ 35th wedding anniversary and the first at our new home. Usually, we keep the celebrations low-key and believe in eating, drinking and making merry with the family and close friends. And well, this day was no different.
Since my sister lives in Dharamsala, she could not join us and Saurabh too had a working day. Gurjas and I decided to make their day special and decided to make a Roast Chicken. Well, Delhi has become quite hot all of a sudden and it’s not a particularly amazing weather to enjoy a ‘Roast Chicken’, but I didn’t want to cook a Chicken Curry either. Besides, I really wanted to enjoy the juicy, buttery, herbaceous flavours for the one last time, before take refuge in watermelons and mangoes.
I had only one worry. Where to find that beautiful full Chicken to roast? My favourite meat shop (close to my old house) is too far now and I have not been able to find a good meat shop near my new house. And, that’s when I found Kokoba.in, an online store for all things meaty and yummy. I was thrilled to find raw Salmon, Rawas, Mutton Chops, Crabs, Prawns and much more varities of meat. They also had ‘marinated ready to cook’ meat but my heart was set on finding a beautiful, juicy, pink and fresh Full Chicken with Skin.
Not only did my order arrive on time, but also, it was neatly packed and sealed, with proper labeling that highlighted the quantity, date of packaging, pricing and pieces. The chicken looked fresh, was easy to clean and non-greasy.
I chose a very simple, quick and non-fussy recipe for the Roast. To make the skin crispy, I rubbed lots of Garlic-Herb butter between the skin and the breasts. To make the butter, I chopped lots of sprigs of fresh thyme, zest of orange and garlic and mixed it with softened butter. By filling the cavity with fresh oranges and shallots, I tied the legs of the chicken in order to keep it straight and tight.
I like to lots of veggies, with my chicken. So I strew some big chunks of shallots, potatoes, leaks, baby carrots, oranges and cloves of garlic, over the chicken. Thoroughly buttery and herbaceous, the chicken was ready to go in the oven.
While the chicken was cooking, my kitchen was filled with a divine blend of aromas. The sound of bubbles of juices, the pink shallots turning sweet, the oranges turning dark and smokey, the potatoes softening in butter and the skin turning crispy golden, I couldn’t wait to cut it open and gobble it down.
However, I waited. Waited for Saurabh to come home, for the celebrations to begin. This wasn’t possible without Kokoba. I am so glad to have come across this lovely door-to-door service. I’m sure, it would come handy when I wouldn’t want to step out in the scorching summer sun. Now, no more braving the heat for a bowl of meat.
Have a look at the recipe now.
INGREDIENTS:
| Full Chicken with Skin | 1 (1-1 ½ KG) |
| Butter (Softened) | 200 grams |
| Garlic (peeled and crushed) | 2 Whole |
| Oranges (sliced into wedges and rounds) | 3 pieces |
| Orange Zest | 1 piece |
| Shallots (cut into half – with skin) | 10-12 pieces |
| Leaks (cut into slices) | 10 pieces |
| Baby Carrots | 6-8 pieces |
| Potatoes (Cut into half) | 4 pieces |
| Fresh Thyme | 50 grams |
| Pepper | 1 Teaspoon |
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven at 250 Degree Celsius.
- Soften the butter and mix crushed garlic, thyme and pepper into the butter.
- Clean the chicken and make sure there is no moisture on the skin, once you’re done cleaning. Wipe the moisture with a dry kitchen towel.
- Rub the butter between the skin and the flesh of the chicken breasts. Turn it around and repeat the process.
- Fill the cavity with Shallots and Orange wedges, tie the legs using a thread and place the chicken in the middle of the greased baking tray.
- Scatter the rest of the oranges and other veggies around the chicken and dab them with Garlic-Herb Butter. Sprinkle some sprigs of thyme and put it to bake.
- Bake for 50 – 55 Minutes until the skin shows golden brown colour and all the veggies have softened. You can also use a Thermometer to check whether it’s done, by placing the thermometer in the thickest part near the thigh.
- Rest for 8-10 minutes before you serve it.
NOTE: This article was done in collaboration with Kokoba, however all thoughts, views and recipe are my own.
PS: You can order your share of fresh, raw meat from Kokoba.in
