Sticky Saffron Orange Chicken
By: Shayma Saadat
Ingredients
Chicken
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6
chicken quarters (3½-4 lbs)
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2
tablespoons olive oil
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2
teaspoons sea salt
Saffron Sunkist<sup>®</sup> Orange Reduction
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1
heaped teaspoon saffron threads
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2
cups Sunkist<sup>®</sup> Cara Cara juice
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2
cups and Sunkist<sup>®</sup> Navel orange juice
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1
Sunkist<sup>®</sup> lemon, juiced
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1
shallot, finely minced
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3
tablespoons runny honey
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1/2
teaspoon cayenne pepper (or ¼ teaspoon, if you prefer less heat)
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1
teaspoon sea salt, or more, to taste
Directions
Chicken
- Heat oven to 375F.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- Lay chicken skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle chicken with oil, and season evenly, using 2 teaspoons salt.
- Roast chicken for 20 minutes (total 45-50 minutes), and using a pastry brush, baste chicken with saffron Sunkist<sup>®</sup> orange reduction and pan juices.
- Roast chicken for another 15 minutes, and brush skin with the remaining saffron orange reduction.
- Roast until golden, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 160F degrees, about 10 minutes more.
- Garnish chicken with microgreens. Serve chicken with saffron orange reduction.
Saffron Sunkist<sup>®</sup> Orange Reduction
- Grind saffron in a pestle and mortar* till it transforms to a powder.
- Transfer saffron powder to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon hot water.
- In a medium saucepan, combine Sunkist<sup>®</sup> Cara Cara and Sunkist<sup>®</sup> Navel orange juice, Sunkist<sup>®</sup> lemon juice, shallots, honey, cayenne pepper, salt, and reserved saffron water.
- Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and syrupy (reduced to about 1½ cups) about 30 minutes.
- Transfer ⅓ cup of saffron orange reduction into a small bowl. You will use this to baste the chicken quarters.
- Reserve the rest of the reduction in a separate bowl, to serve with chicken.
