Our Christmas Herb-Roasted and Orange-Glazed Chicken

So delicious -- the glazed skin is sweet and herby, the meat is tender, and the gravy is delectable.

I based this recipe on a turkey recipe from a Southern Living Christmas cookbook (about 2010). Their recipe called for sage, savory, salt, pepper, butter, orange juice, orange marmalade, and honey. My version is suited for a smaller whole poultry, is more intense in herb flavor, adds onion, and uses a slightly less sweet glaze.

Here's the recipe:

Christmas Chicken

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• the juice from 1/2 an orange
• 1/4 cup of jam or cranberry sauce (I've used plum jam, but other jam flavors would work. We also really love this glaze using cranberry sauce.)
• additional 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

In a small bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients. 

After cleaning and patting dry a whole chicken (about 4 to 5 lbs), tie the legs and wings with kitchen twine, then rub the dry seasonings all over the top and sides of the chicken.

Bake the chicken for about 1 hour at 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, combine the orange juice and jam (or cranberry sauce), and additional sage.

After 1 hour of roasting, spoon the glaze over the entire partially-roasted chicken. The chicken goes back into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature is checked in the leg/thigh and in the breast. If it is not quite to doneness, loosely tent the glazed chicken with foil (to prevent the glaze from burning) and return to the oven. Once the chicken has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the oven, leave tented and allow to sit for 15 minutes before transferring to a cutting board.

The juices in the pan are used to make a sweet and savory gravy. Pour the juices into a glass measuring cup and chill briefly. Scoop/spoon the fat that has risen to the top and heat it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to cook out any liquids before adding flour, followed by remaining pan juices plus some water. No additional seasoning to the gravy is needed, in my opinion.

If what you have is orange marmalade, by all means you can use it. If you have orange juice and not a fresh orange, orange juice will work, use about 1/4 cup of juice  The primary dried herb to use is the sage. If you don't have thyme, then marjoram, savory, or additional sage could be substituted. You could omit the onion powder, but I like the flavor it adds to the herb rub.

I've roasted a whole chicken for the last several Christmases and Thanksgivings using this process of herb rub followed by sweet glaze. A whole chicken is a more manageable size for our family. As well, we prefer the flavor and texture compared to turkey. 

If you were planning on roasting a whole turkey for Christmas (I know that's customary in some areas), you may want to consider an herb rub followed with a sweet glaze. My recipe is the right amount of seasoning and glaze for a 5-lb bird. For a larger turkey, do the math to increase the amounts of both herbs and glaze and roast for longer with just the herb rub, glazing in the last 30 minutes to an hour (tenting with foil as needed to prevent burning the glaze).

Happy eating!

Corn Pudding: Lunch For Two

Corn Pudding Topped with Ham Cracklings

I made this as a lunch dish for my husband and I one day last week. In the past I've made this as a brunch dish, light supper dish, and as a side dish to a regular dinner. With a green salad on the side, this makes a light meal, serving two (possibly three if ham, cheese, or bacon are added). If using this as a side dish or one of several dishes, it serves 4 to 5.

As I know there are several here who find themselves cooking for two as a regular thing, I thought someone might benefit from this recipe.

Corn Pudding

• one 15 oz can of corn, save the liquid
• 2 tablespoons butter (or other fat, I used ham fat in the pudding pictured above)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• cream, milk or water, to add to corn liquid to make 1 cup total (drained corn liquid + extra liquid = 1 cup total)
• 2 eggs, separated (whites in a medium to large bowl, yolks in a small dish)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

optional add-ins (one or several):

• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 1/2 cups chopped ham
• 1/4 cup diced bell pepper, red or green
• 2 to 3 tablespoons canned green chiles, diced
• 1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
• a sprinkling of meat cracklings, such as ham, pork or beef, to top just before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Butter a 2-quart round casserole or 9 X 9 pyrex.

Drain can of corn, reserving liquid in a measuring cup. Add cream, milk or water to reserved liquid to make 1 cup of liquid, total. 

In a saucepan over Medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour. Combine this with reserved corn liquid plus extra liquid of choice, stirring well. Continue cooking until sauce is smooth and has thickened. Add drained corn, peppers, chiles, ham, or bacon. Remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks with a fork. Spoon a tablespoon of the sauce over egg yolks, and stir well. Add another spoonful of hot sauce to egg yolks, and stir well. Repeat one more time.

Add the warmed egg yolks to the sauce. Stir well. Return to heat (Medium), stir and heat for 3 or 4 minutes, until egg yolks have cooked and thickened the sauce slightly. Stir in salt and paprika. Remove from heat.

In medium or large bowl, use a mixer to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle with grated cheese (optional). Fold the egg yolk, sauce and corn mixture into the stiff egg whites (and grated cheese, if used). 

Transfer to a prepared casserole or baking dish. You can top the mixture just before baking with additional bacon or ham bits, more shredded cheese, or cracklings (if you make them).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffy, golden and eggs are set. Serve immediately.