Cilantro, Orange & Garlic Roasted Chicken

Sunday is my favorite day of all. While most people use it to be a day of rest, I'm in the kitchen whipping it up! Since I'm Italian-American we always did Sundays real big growing up. I like to carry on that same tradition in my home w/my son. Generally I serve a big pot of gravy w/some type of meat. Meatballs, sausage, braciole, many diff. things. Now I know most people call it "sauce", I won't get in a debate over there here in my post. We can just all call it what we'd like :)

This Sunday I decided to change it up a bit and roast a chicken. I have made this on Sundays many times, but I wanted to change the spices. My son as some of you know is half  El Salvadoran, so we often have Central American flavors in our diet quite often as well. Today I decided to go w/cilantro, orange and garlic. You could even go crazy and throw in a lime. Why not?!?1



2-4 pound roasted chicken
salt
olive oil
1 orange cut in fours
3 cloves of garlic
1 handful fresh cilantro


Preheat oven to 450

Make sure all the innards of the chicken are discarded. Rinse and pat dry w/paper towels really well. Stuff the chicken w/the orange, 2 cloves of the garlic and handful of cilantro. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Rub the skin with olive oil. Very liberally season the chicken with salt, this is what's going to help give it that nice crispy skin.  Mince up the last clove of garlic and push it underneath the skin on top of the breast.
Roast for ten minutes on 450, then drop the heat down to 350 and roast a good hour or so. Or until a thermometer reads 155. Take it out and let it rest until the thermometer reads 165. 
I didn't baste, I simple just popped it in and let it go. I did turn the chicken once. That was it. The skin was nice and crispy and it was nice and juicy on the inside.
Growing up I learned never to throw anything away! Use those chicken bones to make a nice rich stock! There is a recipe on here for that as well.
I served this w/simple roasted carrots and salad w/boiled egg.

Bonus Recipe:
Plantain Chips

Slice 2-3 green plantains into thin slices. Toss with olive oil and salt, fresh lime juice if desired and bake at 400 for about 25-30 minutes or until nice golden brown and crisp. Flip once about half way through the baking process.
Enjoy!





Copyright © 2012 Salvo-lutions by, Dana Salvo