ROAST CHRISTMAS CHICKEN DINNER

ingredients

for the cranberries:

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1/2 an orange)

for the vegetables

1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes
2 medium yellow onions, cut into wedges
2 large carrots. cut into large pieces
all the cloves from 1 garlic bulb
1 orange, cut into wedges
1/2 lemon, quartered
1/2 cup chicken broth

instructions

Start by trussing the chicken with butcher’s twine. There are videos out there that explain better than we ever could.

Then, in a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the cranberry mixture. Set aside to allow the cranberries to macerate.

Grab a roasting pan or dutch oven and add the baby potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic cloves, 6 pieces of orange, and 3 pieces of lemon to make a bed for the chicken. Pour the chicken broth over the bed of vegetables.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place your chicken into the pot on top of the vegetables (make sure the chicken isn’t touching the bottom of the pan). Spoon the cranberry mixture (including the juice) around the vegetable bed, then bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 425 F. After 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 350 F (and bake for 20 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165 F when inserted into the inner thigh area near the breast (but without touching the bone). Should be about an hour in the oven total.