Chicken L’Orange

Amarante

Today at 10:33 am

This was excellent and easy - basic preparation of browning the chicken - removing it from the pan - deglazing the pan with the sauce and then replacing chicken in the pan to finish cooking in the oven.

You do need a pan that goes from cooktop to oven

I made it with all breasts which meant that all the chicken was done at the same time. If you use mixed parts (breasts, thigh, leg combination) I think you need to take out the pieces that are done so they don't cook too long and get dry

I think this would freeze well but my own experience is that dark meat freezes better than breasts because dark meat can be heated up without losing texture and reheating breasts often results in a poor result.

Chicken L’Orange

Excerpt From: Stephen Colbert - Does This Taste Funny?

Makes 4 servings

¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 pounds chicken parts, preferably bone-in, skin-on
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup orange juice
½ cup bottled chili sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 oranges, cut into wheels, for garnish
Cooked rice for serving

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Spread the flour on a plate. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them well with salt and pepper. Roll the chicken pieces in the flour to coat them lightly.

Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. The oil is ready when a chicken piece lowered into the oil gives off a very lively sizzle. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides—don’t overcrowd the pan! Adjust the heat as necessary so the chicken keeps sizzling, without splattering. Move the cooked chicken pieces to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

While the chicken is browning, stir the orange juice, chili sauce, molasses, soy sauce, mustard, and garlic salt together in a small bowl.

When all the chicken is cooked, pour off the fat from the pan but leave the brown crunchy bits behind. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the orange juice mixture. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the chicken skin side up in a 3-quart baking dish (9 × 13-inch or similar). Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through.

Move the chicken to a platter and spoon some of the sauce over the top. Garnish with the orange wheels. Serve the chicken with rice and pass the remaining sauce around the table.

You’ll need a baking dish that holds all the pieces of chicken in a single layer—3 quarts is good.