Orange and za’atar roasted chicken

Orange and za’atar roasted chicken

Perfect for a week-night supper or a holiday dinner party, this is an easy, versatile recipe that requires little prep time. Tonight, I’m making this as part of my menu for Parasha Shelach.

No one will suspect that a dish so flavorful could be so simple to throw together.

And with a few simple modifications, this recipe works equally well for a whole roasted bird. (scroll down)

A squeeze of this and a sprinkle of that, and it’s ready for the oven.

No measurements are necessary for this simple dish. It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to prepare, not including marinating time—which is not absolutely necessary, but preferable.

orange and za’atar roasted chicken thighs, or breasts, or legs, or wings, or a combination

Ingredients:

  • bone-in, skin-on chicken parts. Use your favorite, or a combination.

  • olive oil

  • a few juicy, flavorful oranges (some for juice, some for garnish)

  • a jar of good quality orange marmalade (I prefer using a bitter marmalade, rather than a sweet one, but the choice is yours.)

  • a splash of white wine or orange liqueur

  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon za’atar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

  • smoked paprika

  • fresh thyme sprigs

  • Aleppo pepper to taste (optional)

  • Method:

  • Combine the garlic powder, za’atar, cumin, coriander, and allspice in a small dish and mix well to combine them.

  • Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry with paper towels.

  • Lay the pieces out skin side down, in a flat container that’s suitable for marinating.

  • Squeeze enough fresh orange juice over the pieces to generously cover the meat.

  • Then sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper (you may want to eliminate the salt if you’re using pre-salted kosher chicken)

  • Sprinkle them lightly with the spice mix.

  • Drizzle a little oilve oil over each piece. I pour some into the cap to do this, but you could also use a spoon.)

  • You can proceed right away if you’re pressed for time, but if you can, let the chicken rest and soak up the orange juice and spices in the fridge for a while—anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.

  • In a small sauce pan, heat the marmalade with a splash of white wine, orange liqueur, or orange juice. Stir occasionally until the marmalade is melted and well combined with the liquid.

  • Cover a baking pan with parchment paper and lay out the chicken pieces, skin side up, on the pan. Slip a sprig of thyme under each piece. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the chicken pieces and use your fingertips to spread the oil evenly over the skin.

  • Sprinkle with salt (again be cautious with kosher chicken) and pepper,

  • Using a bbq or pastry brush, spread the melted marmalade over the chicken pieces. Be generous.

  • Sprinkle some of the spice mix over all. Then sprinkle with the smoked paprika. If you’d like to add a gentle touch of heat, sprinkle lightly with Aleppo pepper, as well.

  • Slide the pan into the preheated oven and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, depending upon the size of your chicken pieces. A meat thermometer should register 165°.

  • When the chicken is done, brush it all with a little more marmalade and run it under a broiler for a couple of minutes. The sugars in the marmalade will start to caramelize and create some charred spots. Some is good, too much is just burned chicken, so watch it carefully. It will happen fast.

  • Transfer chicken pieces to a serving dish, sprinkle with a little more za’atar, and strew some sprigs of thyme over the top. Decorate the platter with orange wedges or slices.

To roast a whole chicken

The ingredients remain mostly the same. You can leave out the additions, but they’re nice.

Ingredients:

  • all of the ingredients in the above recipe

  • 1 onion, cut into chunks

  • 3—4 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.

  • Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat the skin dry with a paper towel.

  • Squeeze the juice of an orange into the cavity of the chicken.

  • Sprinkle the inside with salt (you might want to leave it out if you’re using pre-salted kosher chicken), pepper, and a light sprinkling of the spice mix. You can stick your hand in and see to it that it’s well distributed over the cavity. Stuff the cavity with the cut-up onion, the smashed garlic cloves, a few sprigs of thyme, and a cut-up orange. Let it rest for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

  • In a small sauce pan, heat the marmalade with a splash of white wine, orange liqueur, or orange juice. Stir occasionally until the marmalade is melted and well combined with the liquid.

  • Prepare a roasting pan by lining it with parchment paper. Set in a rack to keep the chicken from sitting on the bottom. This will improve the texture of the skin on the bottom of the bird.

  • Massage a little olive oil over all the skin of the chicken.

  • Sprinkle with salt (again, be cautious with kosher chicken) and pepper.

  • Lay the chicken on your work surface, breast side down. Using a brush, generously baste the bottom of the chicken with the melted marmalade mixture. Sprinkle it with the spice mix and a little Aleppo pepper, if using. Then sprinkle on a little smoked paprika.

  • Turn the chicken over and set it on the rack, breast side up. Brush heavily with the marmalade and sprinkle with the spice mix, the smoked paprika, and a little Aleppo pepper if using.

  • Slide the roasting pan into the oven. The cooking time will vary according to the size of your chicken. Start testing it at 1 hour. A meat thermometer stuck into the thick part of the breast will register 165° when it’s done. It could take as long as an hour and a half. Just keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t over cook and become dry. If the breast is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil sprayed with pan release, so that it doesn’t stick to the marmalade glaze.

  • When the chicken reaches temperature, brush the whole thing with more marmalade and set the oven on broil. On a high rack, but not so high that the chicken touches the heating element, broil the chicken until the glaze caramelizes in places. This will take only a few minutes. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn.

  • Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Discard the aromatics from the cavity.

  • Carve the chicken, arrange it nicely on a platter, sprinkle on a bit more za’atar, and strew a few thyme sprigs over the top. Decorate the platter with some fresh orange wedges or slices and serve.

    *To carve the chicken, cut it into 6 pieces—2 legs, 2 wings, 2 thighs, and 2 breasts. Then, either cut each breast piece in half, crossways, or thickly slice the breasts and lay the slices on the platter.