EASY CHRISTMAS DINNER: prep ahead; one-stop, indulgence, beginners

Delightful meal that cooks itself on Christmas Day... 

Lightly spiced roast chicken; baked white & sweet potatoes; mixed veg  
 Extras: pineapple dessert & pull-apart fan rolls 

A tender, moist delicately spiced chicken baked with all the trimmings at the same time, in the same oven, won't disappoint on Christmas Day...and leaves Cook relaxed and satisfied.

Choose one of two flavours - rich Smoked Paprika and Orange or exotic 5-Spice & Orange - the citrus overtones accentuate festivities.  They're both subtle - neither gets in your face - and will be suitable for the very young or the very old.  

The one-stop operation is made very easy and simple on the day by preparing everything in advance.  Get it right and all you'll have to do is turn on the oven, keep track of timings and baste the bird occasionally.

Add-ons like Pineapple pudding with Black Sugar Glaze and Pull-Apart Sour Cream Fan Rolls can be made and completed two days before (though angst can be avoided by making the rolls a week or so ahead and frozen - see below).  

As always, choose the best chicken you can afford but whatever you choose, spice rubs enhance flavour.  67 made this with a higher welfare chicken (£7'ish - 11/2022) and an organic chicken (£20'ish - 11/2202) - both terrific.

Cost: depends on ingredients - say, £7-£20 (Nov 2022)

Feeds: 4-6

Ingredients:

One good-sized raw chicken

EITHER:

Smoked Paprika Orange Butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

40gm/1.5oz softened butter 

1 teaspoon garlic powder or three medium cloves garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Zest and wedges from 1 medium oranges

           

Paprika Glaze 

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

2 tablespoons orange juice

OR

5-Spice Hoisin Butter:

40gm/1.5oz softened butter 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 tsp five spice powder 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or two medium cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated  peeled ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Zest and 1-2 membrane-free segments from 1 Orange

   

Five spice glaze:

2 tablespoon hoisin sauce 

2 tablespoon orange juice

1/4 cup orange juice

generous 1/3 cup white wine, stock or grape juice

1/4 onion

4 orange segments 

3-4 carrots

3-4 parsnips

three generous handfuls sprouts

half an orange

toasted sesame or sunflower seeds

2 large baking potatoes

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon oil or butter

Salt and pepper

Method:

The Chicken

1. Two evenings before planned meal, remove wrapping; wipe down chicken in and out with paper towel; remove any large lumps of fat.  Leave uncovered in fridge overnight 
2. The day before Christmas/serving day, combine chosen spice butter ingredients until well distributed.  Wrap in cling film, forming a flat lozenge; refrigerate 20 mins. 
3. Take chicken out of the fridge; use the curved side of a spoon to gently push below skin at front of breast, to separate the skin from the flesh.  Take butter out of fridge; slide about 3/4 under the skin, use your fingers to massage the butter under the skin to cover the top and sides of the breast.  (A slight bulge and darker colour will show where flavoured butter has covered the flesh.) Use the remainder of spice butter to generously coat thighs and wings.  
4. In a baking pan just big enough to fit the chicken, pour in a quarter cup of orange juice and a generous third cup stock or white wine.  Place chicken on a rack in the pan.  Stuff the breast cavity with a quarter of an onion and three or four orange segments.  Refrigerate uncovered overnight. 
5. When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to 165°C/330°F 
6. A generous 2 hours before lunch/dinner, place chicken in the oven. (It will take about 1.5 hours to cook with an extra half hour's resting time.)
7. Every half hour, baste the bird with the pan juices (Be careful; they are hot -  if necessary, slide the chicken onto a plate, carefully pour the juices into a bowl first, brush chicken, return remaining juices to the pan and chicken on top of rack)
8. In the final half-hour, start brushing the skin with the chosen glaze 
9. How to know when the bird is cooked.  (a) put a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (not near bone or fat); it should register 73C/165F.  OR (b) insert sharp knife between thigh and breast; the juices should run clear - if there is any pink, the chicken needs further cooking.  (c) The drumstick wiggles when you give it a tug.
10. Place chicken onto serving platter; cover loosely with foil; rest 30 mins
11. Pour off as much of the fat off as you can into a container; pour the juices into a good-sized jug; add enough water to thinly cover the the roasting tin and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve all the cooked on bits/flavour; add to the jug.  This your juices/gravy.  Keep warm.  Add a shot of brandy if you like. 
12. (If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix one tablespoon cornflour with 2 tablespoons cold water and add to the juices.  Heat gently until it thickens.)

Potatoes: start the day before

(The potatoes were baked, not roasted, at the request of diners who love 67's baked potatoes.)  

1. Wash potatoes thoroughly, dry; discretely remove blemishes on the skin.   
2. Rub potatoes all over with butter or oil; season generously. Rest uncovered overnight in fridge.  
3. Half an hour after the chicken has begun to cook, put naked potatoes straight onto the oven rack  (no foil or covering; a pan underneath to catch drips) OR 
4. Bake at least an hour or until the point of knife encounters no resistance in the centre when tested.  If cooked when the bird comes out of the oven, keep warm in bottom of oven.  Otherwise transfer to the oven rack and leave up to 30 mins

The Vegetables: (parsnips, carrots & sprouts) start the day before

1. If the root veg are not organic, peel them.  Cut into similar sized spears.
2. If the sprouts are not organic, soak them in a 9-1 mix of water & vinegar 20 mins; rinse & drain.  Remove grotty outer leaves; if the stems are really thick, trim a little bit off the bottom.  Cut a small cross in the bottom.  Cut a deeper cross in but not through the top (to allow heat to penetrate). Try to make all the sprouts a similar size and not too much bigger than the root spears.
3. Sprinkle veg with a teaspoon oil; arrange on a baking tray with the sprouts at one end.  Cover with foil; refrigerate until needed
4. After chicken has been in oven 30 mins, remove foil from veg, season lightly; add a tablespoon water.  Re-cover pan tightly with foil; place on the bottom of the oven (ie, under the chicken).  15 minutes before the chicken comes out, uncover the root veg but leave the foil loosely covering the sprouts.  Add a few more tablespoons water if necessary.  Once chicken is out, move veg tray to the cooking shelf. The veg should brown, not burn.  When cooked through, move to serving dish; squeeze half orange on top, scatter with seeds.

Pull-Apart Fan Rolls:  can be made, cooked, cooled & frozen a week or so ahead but start two days before serving day for fresh-baked rolls

Cook according to instructions.  When totally cool and within 2-3 hours of baking, freeze and bag up.  When defrosted, they'll be as soft and fresh as if they just came out of the oven.  Reheat lightly in bottom of oven 5-10 minim 

Comments:

'The Paprika Orange chicken was very enjoyable and tasty, with the zestiness of the sauce really stimulating the taste buds.' 67 handyman

'Both had a lovely layer of citrus, which in the case of the 5-Spice and Hoisin magnified the subtle smoky exotic background.' Retired Writer

Tips:

• Toddlers may be happier with the slightly sweeter Paprika flavour though kids often surprise when it comes to Oriental flavours
• If replacing baked potatoes with roast, extra time and planning will be required  

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permissio