Monday, November 8, 2010

Sour Orange Chicken + Broth

My favorite getting cold outside dinner is roasted chicken with vegetables. Not only for the actual dinner, but for the chicken bones to make great chicken broth. The broth is so much better than the store bought, canned junk for little to no effort. Then I use the broth for soup to eat with fresh bread. The smell of the house for those two days is great!

First, let's make the chicken dinner. Years ago I came across this recipe for Yucatan Sour Orange Chicken which intrigued me enough to try it. The chicken was a hit - although it was strongly flavored, so feel free to adjust - and the kid's dove in. I haven't made it in a while, but just had it last night and it again went fast.

Ingredients:
Potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery/fennel
Olive oil
Sauce: In a blender, add and coarsely blend


  • 5-20 gloves of garlic (based on your taste), peeled and cut in half



  • The juice of 3-6 oranges plus the remains of one of them (just toss it in, you'll enjoy it)



  • A couple of dashes of lemon juice



  • Whole, reconstituted chipotle (I've used guajillo, morita and red pepper flakes or a healthy dash of Tabasco)



  • Salt, pepper, and oregano.



  • 1) Peel and quarter the potatoes, carrots, onions and celery/fennel. Toss vegetables in a bowl with salt, pepper and olive oil. Set aside.

    2) Dress the chicken by moving a spoon around between the skin and breast of the chicken to create a pocket. A flavor pocket! Into this pocket, pour some of the blend and move it around the breast.

    3) In a large roasting pan, evenly spread the vegetables and add a small amount of water to the bottom of the pan. Top this mixture with the chicken and pour remaining sauce over bird and vegetables.

    4) Roast until internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees. Let chicken rest before cutting.

    Chicken broth:

    5) After dinner, add the chicken bones to a 4 or 8 qt. soup pot and fill with water. Add plenty of salt and pepper plus a couple of bay leaves, a handful of oregano, 4-5 cloves of garlic and a dried chile - ancho if I want it milder, guajillos for spicer, and morita for smoky goodness. Cook on low overnight, if you have an electric stove. If I had a gas stove, I'd put it in the fridge and bring it out the next morning to stick it on the stove for the day - 5-6 hours should work. Strain out the broth and discard the bones and spices.

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