Welcome back to the Fancy Fork – your seasonal produce insight and farm-style recipes that are made to satisfy.
The month of April is filled with warmer days and new sprouts promising summer flavors on the ground. It’s the last month for most of your favorite winter produce but also the beginning of those new brighter and crispier bites. When it comes to fruits, you’ll find apples, rhubarb, pineapple, avocado, bananas, some citrus and, now, strawberries! The veggies are racking up in numbers with lots of carrots, celery, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, radishes, parsnips, leeks, lettuce, artichokes, broccoli and cabbage.
This month’s recipe feature is all on blood oranges – and it’s the last month before they’re out of season! Largely popular in Italy and Spain, they are rich in antioxidants which help reduce the stress of oxidation and lower your risk of chronic health problems like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. They’re incredibly versatile, too, usable for sweet drinks, savory dishes and desserts.
Blood Orange Citrus-Roasted Spatchcocked Chicken
Servings: 6-8 Blood Orange Citrus-Roasted Spatchcocked Chicken
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs. Whole Chicken
- 2 Blood Oranges
- 2 large Shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 Fennel, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1 T Dijon Mustard
- 1 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- 1 T Dried Italian Herb Seasoning
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 430 degrees F.
- To spatchcock the chicken: Use sharp kitchen scissors to cut on the sides of the chicken’s spine (on the backside). Cut to remove the spine completely. Remove any intestines, if needed (usually it’s already done). Flip the chicken over and press firmly down, so you hear it crack. Flatten the chicken as much as possible.
- In a large bowl, combine the zest of 1 blood orange, juice of 1 blood orange, sugar, dijon, chopped rosemary and dried herbs. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Mix well.
- In a large baking dish, alternate between the remaining blood orange (thinly sliced), sliced fennel and sliced shallots. Add the spatchcocked chicken on top.
- Rub the citrus marinade evenly over the chicken. You can prep this the night before or continue to the next step for baking instructions.
- Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes until, when poked with a fork, the juices are flowing clear.
- TIP: Keep an eye on it every 20 minutes, covering the edges with foil as needed to prevent burning.
