Pollo arrosto all'arancia, limone, e zenzero (Jewish chicken with orange, lemon & ginger)

For ➍
1 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.

* 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.

tip: Dutch oven & slow cooking times

A Dutch oven has the advantage of using one pot from start to finish—you can sear proteins in the same pan you use to braise. When using a Dutch oven, you can braise on the stovetop or in the oven. If you choose the stovetop, you will need to stir occasionally and check the heat under the burner to make sure the bottom of the pan isn’t burning or sticking. For that reason, prefer braising in the (fan) oven at 140º to 160ºC.
Chicken: 1 to 1 1/2 h in a Dutch oven; 2 h high setting in slow cooker
Cubed meat (lamb, beef or pork): 2 to 3 h in a Dutch oven; 2 to 3 h high setting in slow cooker
Whole shanks or larger cuts: 3 to 4 h in Dutch oven; 4+ hhigh setting in slow cooker (the larger the cut, the more time required)
Beans: Soak in cold water overnight. Cook 1 to 2 h in Dutch oven; 2 to 3 h high setting in slow cooker
Note: To use a slow cooker’s more gentle low setting, cook for about twice the amount of time you would on high.
For large cuts, try this trick: place a piece of foil under the lid of the Dutch oven so that the liquid doesn’t over-reduce. Consider turning large roasts about 2/3 through the cooking time to make sure both sides are equally tender. Check the meat as it cooks; add more liquid if needed. Or, add more water at the beginning of cooking, and you can reduce it in the oven or on the stovetop once the protein is done.