Orange-Thyme Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1  chicken (6 to 8 lb.)
• 2  oranges (about 1/2 lb. each), rinsed
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 6  to 8 thyme sprigs, rinsed
• 1 1/2  pounds  shallots (each about 1 1/2 in. wide), peeled
• 3  pounds  red thin-skinned potatoes (each about 2 1/2 in. wide), scrubbed and dried
• 1 1/2  pounds  baby carrots (max. 3/4 in. thick), rinsed and peeled, or baby-cut peeled carrots
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2  cup  dry sherry
• 1  cup  fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  whipping cream

Preparation

1. Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for other uses. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rinse bird well inside and out; pat dry. If desired, fold wing tips under first joint. Set bird breast up on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-inch pan.

2. Grate 2 tablespoons peel from oranges. Cut oranges in half crosswise and ream juice; you need at least 2/3 cup. In a small bowl, mix grated peel and thyme leaves. Starting at the neck, gently ease your fingers under chicken skin to loosen it over breast. Push 3 tablespoons orange peel-thyme mixture under skin and spread evenly over breast. Place 2 orange halves (discard remainder), 4 thyme sprigs, and 2 shallots in body cavity.

3. In a bowl, mix remaining shallots, the potatoes, and carrots with olive oil. Distribute vegetables around chicken in pan. Pour 1/3 cup orange juice over chicken. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

4. Roast in a 425° regular or convection oven until vegetables are well browned and tender when pierced and a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 170°, or 180° through thickest part of thigh at joint, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours. After about 30 minutes, turn vegetables with a wide spatula. If pan juices start to scorch, pour about 1/4 cup water around edge of pan and stir to scrape drippings free, mixing with vegetables.

5. Insert a carving fork into the body cavity, piercing carcass; lift bird and tilt to drain juices into pan. Set chicken on a rimmed platter. With a slotted spoon, lift vegetables from pan and arrange around chicken. Let rest in a warm place about 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, skim and discard fat from pan. Add sherry, broth, cream, and remaining orange peel-thyme mixture and orange juice. Stir often over high heat, scraping browned bits free, until reduced to 1 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour through a fine strainer into a small pitcher or bowl.

7. Garnish platter with remaining thyme sprigs. Carve chicken and serve with vegetables and sherry-cream sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

713 (38% from fat)

Protein:

50g

Fat:

30g (sat 9.7)

Carbohydrate:

55g

Fiber:

3.6g

Sodium:

210mg

Cholesterol:

150mg