Citrus Chicken with Olives & Herbs

We’re not even halfway through December, but I’ve already eaten so. many. cookies!

My freezer is stocked with buttery balls of dough, and there might be hints of chocolate and/or molasses running through my veins as we speak.

I’m not complaining – I feel pretty good about it, actually – but there comes a time when something a little more savory is in order.  A proper dinner!

A simple roasted chicken dish, warm and bright with fresh citrus, briny olives and green herbs, fits the bill.

This one is easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, but it’s also elegant enough for company.  It’s richly flavored and soul-warming, though the ingredient list is short and simple.

During this month of holiday cheer (complete with heavy plates and yes, maybe too many cookies), this is a good recipe to have on hand.

Consider this the final installment (part 4, if you will) of my seasonal “Whole Bird Cooking” series! In case you missed them, here are parts 1 and 2 and 3!

In partnership with Draper Valley Farms.  All opinions are my own.  Thanks for supporting the brands that support Dunk & Crumble!

Citrus Chicken with Olives & Herbs

You can buy a chicken that’s already been cut up into pieces for this recipe, but it’s not a big deal to just do it yourself (let Martha show you how!).

I used a whole, free-range chicken from Draper Valley Farms – they raise chickens in Washington and Oregon, and I love that their RANGER® free-range chickens are fed a diet that is non-GMO Project Verified and has no antibiotics ever.  The nice thing about butchering the bird yourself is that you get to keep the backbone and wings for stock.

If you have a garlic clove or two, I wouldn’t be shy about throwing it (chopped or whole cloves) into the mix here.

Ingredients:

• 1 large (or 2 small) yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
• 1 whole chicken, cut up into parts (bone-in and skin-on)
• 1 orange, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt (I like Diamond Crystal)
• ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
• 2-4 tablespoons olive juice/brine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (can substitute parsley, if you like)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400°F, with a rack in the center position.

Arrange the onion wedges in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan.  Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on and around the onions.

Tuck the orange slices over and around the chicken, then drizzle the olive oil over the dish, and sprinkle with big pinches each of salt and pepper.

Toss the olives over the chicken, drizzle with olive brine, and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Bake the chicken for about 45 minutes, or until well browned and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken (without touching bone) registers 165°F.

Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the fresh tarragon (or parsley) on top.  Serve hot.

Serves about 4.