Recipe of the Week: Apple Cider-Roasted Chicken

You may have heard about beer-can chicken. That is a fun way to cook a bird while keeping it moist, and this is a spin on that idea, using seasonal-appropriate apple cider as the cooking liqueur. You’ll need a heat-proof glass or ceramic jar (a ramekin or thick glass jar could work). Most mason jars are heat resistant up to 392°F, and this recipe doesn’t go higher than 325°F, so you should be fine without risk of breaking the glass.

Yields: One whole chicken, enough for 4 adults

Ingredients

¼ tsp                     ground cinnamon
¼ tsp                     ground clove
¼ tsp                     ground nutmeg
½ tsp                    ground allspice
1 tsp                     ground sage
1 tbsp                   salt
1 tsp                     black pepper
2 tbsp                   vegetable oil
1                            whole chicken, 3½ lbs, trussed
1 cup                    apple cider (non-alcoholic)
3 tbsp                   cold butter, cut into small (1”) cubes.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Have a roasting pan with walls ready to use.

2. Mix the spices together with the oil in a small bowl. Using your hands, slather the mix all over the chicken, making sure you get it in all the little crevices.

3. Pour the apple cider into a clean mason jar or ramekin just large enough to fit into the chicken’s cavity. Place the jar in the roasting pan, then press the chicken, butt down, over the mason jar. The jar should fit almost entirely in the chicken’s cavity, allowing the bird to balance easily standing up.

4. Roast the chicken for about 40 minutes per pound, or until an internal thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, tent the bird with aluminum foil, and allow the chicken to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Using either a pair of tongs or a carving fork pierced far enough into the bird to lift it, and a kitchen towel (to pull off the jar), carefully pull the jar out of the chicken and transfer the chicken to a cutting g board. There may be a lot of hot juice that comes out with it, so be careful. Then, strain the roasting juices into a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer on a low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, cube by cube, to emulsify into the sauce. Season to taste and pour into a sauce boat.

6. To serve, carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter, setting the sauce beside.