serves
4
prep
15 minutes
cook
1:20 hour
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
1:20
hour
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 bunch thyme
- 1 bunch rosemary
- 1 mandarin, sliced into coins
Chicken seasoning
- 2 cinnamon sticks, whole
- 2 star anise, whole
- 3 cloves, whole
- 1 tsp powdered chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp salt
- 225 g (½ lb) butter, unsalted
Mandarin orange glaze
- 5 whole mandarins
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 3 cloves
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 knob ginger, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Pat the chicken dry. Season the inside of the chicken with a pinch of salt. Stuff with mandarin orange slices. Add fresh herbs to the cavity and using butcher’s twine, truss the chicken tying the wings in tightly to the bird.
- For the seasoning, add cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves to a spice grinder and pulse to a powder. Place into a bowl. Add chicken bouillon and season with salt. Add butter and combine until the seasoning is well mixed.
- Spread the seasoning butter all over the chicken liberally and place the chicken onto a raised baking rack over a tray. Place in pre-heated oven.
- While the chicken cooks, juice the mandarins and place the juice into a saucepan. Add star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves to the pot. Add honey, soy sauce and ginger. Cook until thick.
- When the chicken is cooked (check after an hour, depending on the size of the chicken it could take around 1 hour 10-1 hour 20) and has an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve with sauce drizzled over top.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
