This recipe works well for turkey, duck and other poultry too. If making a 4-5lb chicken, use a single batch of the herb oil to marinate the bird. If you are making a turkey, double or triple the herb oil and pan sauce ingredients according to how many pounds the birds weighs. Plan on 1 batch, for every 4-5lbs of poultry.
Before you start cooking, learn how to prep a chicken (or turkey!) for whole roasting, spatchcocking and breaking down into butcher cuts from one of our Mill City Cooks classes with Market Chef Beth Jones.
And learn how to carve and plate a whole bird with Beth’s simple steps here:
Sage, Thyme, Chili and Orange Rubbed Roast Chicken
Ingredients
For the Herb Oil
- ¼ cup fresh sage, minced
- 3 Tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- Zest and juice of 2 large oranges
- ¼ cup sunflower, or olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo chili flakes, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Chicken
- 1 4-5lb chicken from Sunshine Harvest Farm, thawed in the refrigerator for 1-2 days (see note above)
For the Pan Sauce (optional, but delicious)
- ¼ cup flour, or rice flour for gluten free substitute
- ¼ cup brandy, sherry or white wine
- 1 cup chicken or turkey stock, homemade if possible
Instructions
Combine herb oil ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature until you’re ready to marinate your chicken or turkey. To prep the bird, first allow the bird to thaw completely. Once thawed, loosen the skin and rub the meat, cavity and outside of the skin with the oil. Allow to marinate for 24 hours.
To cook the bird, preheat the oven to 350. Pin the wingtips behind the body of the bird. You may stuff the bird at this point if you choose. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place in a large roasting pan. Roast the bird for 13 minutes per pound, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and thigh reads 160. At this point remove the bird from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes. The temperature will increase to about 165 as it rests.
To make a pan sauce, after the bird has rested, move it to a cutting board and place the roasting pan on the stovetop for 1 minute over medium heat. Stir in the flour, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the brandy, sherry, or wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a metal spatula to deglaze. Gook for 1 minute and stir in 1 cup of stock. Allow the gravy to come to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep hot and serve with the turkey.
