Copper Chicken
Submitted by chicadee
A paprika-rubbed whole roasted chicken stuffed with garlic, orange peel, bay leaves, and rosemary, finished with a reduced pan sauce. Sunday dinner at its finest.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThe name says it all. Rub a whole bird with butter and paprika, and out of the oven it comes with skin that glows like polished copper.
Two full heads of garlic, orange zest, bay leaves, and fresh rosemary get stuffed inside the cavity, perfuming the meat from the inside out as it roasts.
Chicken broth in the bottom of the pan keeps things moist and builds the foundation for a gorgeous pan sauce that gets finished with chopped rosemary and more orange zest.
Carve it up, pour the sauce on, and you’ve got a centerpiece roast that looks and tastes like a special occasion.
Chef Tips
- Bring the chicken to room temperature before roasting for even cooking from edge to center
- Two whole heads of garlic sounds like a lot, but roasted garlic mellows into a sweet, nutty paste that flavors every bite
- Let the chicken rest a full 10 minutes after roasting. This lets the juices redistribute so they stay in the meat, not on the cutting board
- Reduce the pan sauce by a third for the right consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Peel the garlic. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the paprika.
Rub the chicken with the butter or oil and then with the spice mixture.
Stuff the cavity of the bird the garlic cloves, half of the orange peel, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs.
Truss the legs and place the chicken in a large baking dish .
The trussed chicken can be refrigerated for 3 or 4 hours, well wrapped.
Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Add enough stock to come 1 inch up the side of the chicken.
Place in the oven and bake 1 to 1½ hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 180 degrees.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let sit 10 minutes before carving.
Add any remaining stock to the pan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining orange peel -- chopped rosemary, and ½ teaspoon paprika; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Continue to boil until the sauce is reduced by about one-third, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Arrange the carved chicken on a serving platter and pass a bowl of the sauce separately.
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