Giada's Garlic and Citrus Chicken

A couple months ago I was watching my friend Jen B's son at her house while she got a haircut. While the boys were playing I entertained myself by reading cookbooks she has that I don't. One of them was a Giada one. I know I've expressed my love/hate for Giada before. Her food is so yummy but she's waaaaaaaaaaaaay too skinny for all that goodness she makes. Anyway, I thought this chicken recipe sounded good, but I'm so used to cooking whole chickens in the crockpot I've been hesitant to try it. Finally I said, "Oh get over yourself and just try it." So we're having it tonight. We were going to have it last night, but I forgot to get the chicken out early enough for it to defrost. Oops.

I don't remember which of her cookbooks this was from, but I found it on the Food Network website.

Garlic and Citrus Chicken Recipe
courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (14-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kitchen string or butcher twine

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).

Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

*****

My fingers are crossed it doesn't take forever and a day to cook, as happened with the last whole chicken I tried to cook in the oven instead of the crockpot. I don't know if I'll go to the trouble of making the pan sauce. Sounds time consuming. I'll see how I feel. I think I'm going to make mashed potatoes to go with it and maybe some corn on the side.