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Roast Chicken with Orange, Lemon, and Ginger

(Pollo Arrosto All'Arancia, Limone, e Zenzero)

Ginger arrived in Italy with Arabic traders or North African Jewish immigrants, so it's likely that this is a Sicilian or Livornese recipe. Most Italians would use ground ginger, but since fresh ginger is so plentiful at our markets, why not use it?

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1

lemon

1

roasting chicken, about 5 pounds

Grated zest of 1 lemon, then lemon cut into quarters

Grated zest of 1 orange, then orange cut into quarters

3

tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger root

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5

tablespoons margarine, melted, or olive oil

4

tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1

/2 cup fresh orange juice

3

tablespoons honey

Orange sections for garnish

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

    Step 2

    Cut the lemon into quarters. Rub the outside of the chicken with one of the lemon quarters, then discard. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon and orange zests and 1 tablespoon of the grated ginger. Rub this mixture evenly in the cavity. Put the lemon and orange quarters inside the bird. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. In the now-empty small bowl, combine the melted margarine or olive oil, lemon and orange juices, honey, and the remaining 2 tablespoons ginger. Mix well.

    Step 3

    Place the chicken in the oven and roast, basting with the citrus juice mixture at least 4 times during cooking, until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.

    Step 4

    Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve the chicken. Garnish with orange sections.

    Step 5

    Variation: Use 4 tablespoons pomegranate juice in place of the lemon juice.

Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen
Chronicle Books