Saffron Orange Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

ROAST CHICKEN MARINATED IN SAFFRON, ORANGE AND GARLIC WITH TOASTED WILD MUSHROOM POLENTA

Steps:

• For the Marinade: Bring ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan and reduce to 2 cups and let cool.
• For the Chicken: Place chicken in a large baking dish. Brush 1 cup of the marinade over the chicken and inside the cavity. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the oranges, garlic and onions in the cavity and truss. Season well with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Brush with more of the marinade. Place the chicken in a medium roasting pan and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, basting with the marinade every 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Degrease the pan and place the roasting dish with the drippings on top of 2 burners over high heat. Add the wine and orange juice and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half. Swirl in the butter and add the chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• For the Polenta: Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the thyme and parsley, set aside. Heat a small saute pan over high heat. Add the polenta and toast until lightly golden brown. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Slowly whisk in the toasted polenta, and reduce the heat to low. Switch to a wooden spoon and continue cooking until the mixture begins to pull away from the pan. Add the mushrooms, cheese and season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too thick, add more water.

MOROCCAN SAFFRON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• Cover, and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is very tender and pulls easily off the bone.
• Do not add water, and be careful not to burn the chicken.
• Reduce the liquids until they are mostly oils.
• Discard the cinnamon sticks, and taste for seasoning. (The sauce should be a bit salty and peppery.).

BRAISED CHICKEN AND RICE WITH ORANGE, SAFFRON, ALMOND, AND PISTACHIO SYRUP

Steps:

• Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear; put to one side.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and throw in the onions. Cook over medium heat until they soften and turn golden. Season the chicken thighs and add them to the pan. Brown on all sides, then pour in 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel the zest from the orange with a potato peeler, then cut it into matchstick strips. Blanch in a small pan of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain.
• Dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup (scant) water in a small, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, then bring to a boil and let bubble to reduce and thicken for 5 to 10 minutes until syrupy. Add the orange zest, slivered almonds, and pistachios and boil for 5 minutes, skimming off any froth. Strain the syrup and return to the pan; set aside the orange zest and nuts. Add the saffron and rose water to the syrup and boil again for 3 minutes, then add the cardamom seeds.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Strain the stock from the chicken thighs and add the syrup to it. Make this up to 3 cups with more water. Bring it to a boil in an ovenproof casserole and add the rice. Season and add two-thirds of the orange zest and nuts, keeping the rest to one side. Bring back to a boil, then cover and simmer until the rice is cooked. The liquid should have all been absorbed by now.
• Bury the chicken and onions in the rice and add the fava beans and peas, if you are including them. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Serve straight from the pan or, if you prefer, in a large, warmed serving dish. Sprinkle the last third of the orange zest and nuts over the top before bringing it to the table.

CHICKEN PROVENCAL WITH SAFFRON, ORANGE & BASIL

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add 4 chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook without moving them until skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Add remaining 4 chicken thighs to pot and repeat, then transfer to plate and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
• Add onion to fat in Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, anchovy, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and saffron and scrape up browned bits from pan bottom with wooden spoon. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, bay, and herbes de Provence (if using). Remove and discard skin from chicken thighs, then submerge chicken in liquid and add accumulated chicken juices to pot. Increase heat to high, bring to simmer, cover, then set pot in oven; cook until chicken offers no resistance when poked with tip of paring knife but still clings to bones, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Discard bay leaf. Set Dutch oven over high heat, stir in 1 teaspoon orange zest, bring to boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Stir in olives and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon zest with basil. Spoon sauce over chicken, drizzle chicken with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, sprinkle with parsley mixture, and serve.
• Tip: Removing the pits from tiny niçoise olives by hand is not an easy job. Cover a cutting board with a clean kitchen towel and spread the olives on top, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Place a second clean towel over the olives. Using a mallet, pound all of the olives firmly for 10 to 15 seconds, being careful not to split the pits. Remove the top towel and, using your fingers, press the pit out of each olive.

SAFFRON-ORANGE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE MARINADE: In a small bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients. Remove and discard the neck, giblets, wing tips, and any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the marinade all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Place the whole orange and bay leaf in the chicken cavity and truss the chicken with cotton string (see REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Trussing: All Tied Up). Place the chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the orange juice. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the juice, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the juice. Season the chicken with salt. Center lengthwise on the spit, running the skewer through the orange, and let the chicken rotate over Indirect Medium heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the rotisserie and, using barbecue mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Slide the chicken from the spit onto a cutting board. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Remove the string, orange, and bay leaf. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and serve warm.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.