Roasted Chicken with Kumquats & Rosemary

I love a good roasted chicken and this Roasted Chicken with Kumquats & Rosemary may be my new favorite. My Mom used to say that you could judge a chef by his or her roasted chicken, and I have to say that I agree. You want crispy skin, but tender meat, both white and dark. It can be a hard combination to achieve. Personally, I am a fan of cooking a whole chicken on a vertical roaster.

Pros & Cons of Vertical Roaster

When you cook a chicken on a vertical roaster, it cooks faster. A 3 1/2 pound chicken only takes about 45 minutes. Furthermore, ALL of the skin gets crispy because the heat is able to circulate the entire chicken. Since the skin is possibly my favorite part of a roast chicken, this is a huge plus. Also, I will often place something yummy (like kumquats or potatoes or brussels sprouts) in the bottom of the pan to cook in the chicken fat.

The downside of the vertical roaster, however, is that you can not stuff the cavity of the chicken with aromatics. Since I am of the simple is better school when it comes to chicken (olive oil & salt), this isn’t a problem for me. The recipe below is geared towards cooking on a vertical roaster, but it’s fine if you prefer to cook your chicken horizontally. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

WhyKumquats?

So, you might be asking yourself: Why kumquats? My Roasted Chicken with Kumquats & Rosemary came about because I was bored. I eat a lot of chicken and like most of us, I can definitely get stuck in a rut. Anyway, I was visiting one of my favorite stands at the Farmer’s Market. This woman grows really interesting greens and herbs in her yard. I always enjoy talking to her because I learn something new. And her produce is gorgeous. That day, she had these beautiful baskets of kumquats.

I have always adored the way that kumquats look. They are so bright and happy looking. But I have never embraced their bitter taste. Well, unless they’ve been muddled by my friend Kim and mixed with tequila into a delish twist on a margarita. I was telling the woman my kumquat woes and she suggested that I try pairing them with a roast chicken. Visually, I was excited to give this a go.

Health Benefits of Kumquats

Besides looking fantastic, it turns out that kumquats are really good for us. They are rich in vitamin C and fiber. They have several B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc. But even more importantly, they are stock full of antioxidants. Since you eat the whole kumquat, peel and all, they are particularly rich in flavonoids, phytosterols and essential oils which are believed to interact with synergistic beneficial effects such as blocking the absorption of cholesterol and bringing down inflammation. Anything that we can do to improve the latter is not just a boon for your internal health but also how you look. Reducing inflammation will make you appear slimmer, and give your skin that healthy, youthful glow. Count me in, please.

Roasted Chicken with Kumquats & Rosemary

The other great thing about this recipe is that it is an easy, one pan meal. I love a one pan meal because it means less clean up. It does, however, take a little bit of pre-planning. If you want super crispy skin (and really, who doesn’t?), take the chicken out at least an hour before serving, place it on the vertical roaster and let it come to room temperature. Once you are ready to get cooking, pat the skin dry with paper towels. The less moisture on the skin, the crisper it will get. Needless to say, I do a lot of patting….

Once you are ready to get cooking, the prep is pretty simply. The first time that I made this, I tried cutting the kumquats both vertically and horizontally to see which was better. Cutting them in half horizontally was the clear winner. It produced a much more palatable ratio of skin to flesh, but feel free to play around with this. Remember, any recipe is just a starting point for you to riff. I paired my Roasted Chicken with Kumquats & Rosemary with baby potatoes, which I threw into the roasting pan with the kumquats, and an arugula and avocado salad with the world’s best salad dressing. The result was truly scrumpdelicious!

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Roasted Chicken with Kumquats & Rosemary

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 lb organic chicken
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, trimmed & quartered
• 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 20 fresh kumquats, halved
• 2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 450°.
• Rub the outside of your chicken with some olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt.
• Place the chicken into the middle of a roasting pan, and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Then, turn the heat down to 350°. The cooking time on the vertical roaster is 15 minutes per pound total. *
• While the chicken is roasting, cut your kumquats in half and toss them with the quartered onion and the rosemary sprigs and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the mixture with salt.
• Add the kumquats mixture to the bottom of the roasting pan when the chicken is about 20 - 25 minutes away from being done. **
• Remove the chicken from the oven, place on a cutting board and let sit for a few minutes before removing from the vertical roaster. Cut and serve.

Notes

* A 3 1/2 - 4 pound chicken will take between 45 minutes and an hour. This includes the initial searing time at 450° and then another 30 - 45 minutes at 350°. I always err on the lower end of the time spectrum. It's easy to throw the chicken back in, but you can not uncook an over roasted bird. However, keep in mind that every oven is different so this is just a guideline.

** The fruit should be really browned in places. If not, just put the pan back in the over for a few minutes after you remove the chicken.