Most people associate roast duck with orange but there is no reason not to do the same thing with
chicken. The tangy citrus flavor really lifts the dish and makes it an extra special meal for the right occasion.
This is one of those times when you really do have to baste the bird as it cooks and you will need a good quality pastry brush,
one that withstands heat, to apply the glaze.
The recipe works best with a 2kg (4lb) bird that you roast on a rack at 180C, 375F, for 2 hours - or even longer if
necessary to cook it through thoroughly. You need to baste every 20 minutes, so you can see this really is a labor of love, but one that's worth
the effort.
Preparation, you'll be pleased to know, is very simple. Take one orange, quarter it and put it inside the bird with 2 or 3 bay
leaves. That's all the stuffing you need. For the baste you need the following:
100g butter
60ml white wine
zest of one and juice of half an orange
2tbs soft brown sugar or honey
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Put all these ingredients in a small pan and heat until the sugar or honey has melted and combined with the butter
to form a sauce. There is no need to overheat.
Dry the skin of the chicken with paper towel and paint it with this mixture before it goes into the oven. Then paint it again
every 20 minutes or so until fully cooked. Give it one last coat just before carving.
