I realized this past weekend that in all my years of cooking, I have never roasted a whole chicken before. Is that unusual these days? Hell, I don’t even think I’ve ever bought a whole chicken. I’m perfectly content buying my boneless, skinless chicken breasts for pretty much anything – unless I need a leg or a thigh, specifically. However, I felt it was necessary to roast a whole chicken, if I were going to claim to know how to cook. Is it a rite of passage or something? I don’t know, but it just felt like something I should do.
And, being me, I couldn’t just got for a standard roast chicken recipe. I had to fancy it up a little bit! When I saw this recipe on Kate’s Recipe Box, I knew it was right up my alley! Let me just tell you though, I am not a fan of removing the giblet, sans bag. That was almost enough to make me never, ever deal with a whole chicken again. Gross. And, having never roasted a chicken before, I also don’t have a roasting pan. Oops. So, I called my Mama and asked her what a good substitute would be. Cooling rack in a big pan. Done and done. Those parts aside, the preparation was easy, and I was able to get all the sides done while the chicken roasted. I do need to get a meat thermometer though…it’s hard to judge if the chicken is cooked all the way through based on the outside layers alone. Those pieces close to the bone are tricky, tricky. Just ask J. Oops.
But, all-in-all it was delicious and I love how golden brown and pretty the skin turned. The glaze added a nice flavor and would have been great at dipping sauce, if I hadn’t left it sitting at home on my kitchen counter when I took the food to J’s house. Sigh. Maybe next time I’ll have it together a little more when I try to roast a chicken. Added to the shopping list: Roasting pan, meat thermometer, and maybe the ability to remember all the components of dinner when I leave the house. Yep, that should cover it!
Sage and Garlic Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate-Black Pepper Glaze
As seen on Kate’s Recipe Box
Ingredients
- 6-8 lb. roasting chicken (giblets removed!)
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine butter sage and garlic. Rub the butter mixture over the entire chicken, under the skin and in the cavity.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan, and add 1-2 cups of water to the pan, until the bottom is covered. Roast for approximately two hours until cooked through and golden brown! (Check with a meat thermometer to make sure the inside has reached 160 degrees.)
- Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate juice and pepper in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium. Simmer until the juice has reduced by 3/4 and formed a syrup – about 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the oven and brush half of the glaze over (reserve the rest for dipping or plating). Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Once fully cooked, let chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.
G'day! What a great photo and glaze, TRUE!
Love the combination and might now have to put this on my listo to do! Thank you!
Cheers!
Joanne
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