For ➍1 lemon
1 roasting chicken, about 2.5 kg
grated zest 1 lemon + lemon cut into quarters
grated zest of 1 orange + orange cut into quarters
3 tbs peeled & grated fresh ginger root
salt & freshly ground black pepper
5 tbs margarine, melted, or olive oil
4 tbs fresh lemon juice*
10 cl fresh orange juice
3 tbs honey
orange sections for garnish
Preheat an oven to 190°C. 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 tbs 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 tbs ginger. Mix well.
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 h.
Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 10 to 15 m.
Carve the chicken. Garnish with orange sections.
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 h.
Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 10 to 15 m.
Carve the chicken. Garnish with orange sections.
* Use 4 tbs pomegranate juice in place of the lemon juice.
**Roast in a Dutch oven for about 1 h /kg.
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.
