Roast Chicken With Pomegranate Glaze And Fresh Mint
- 1 bunch (1 ounce) fresh mint
- 1 5- to 6-pound chicken, excess fat trimmed; wingtips, neck and giblets reserved for stock
- 2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 whole cloves garlic, unpeeled
- Seeds from 1 large or 2 small pomegranates (1 1/2 cups)
- Juice from 1 large or 2 small ripe pomegranates (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Place rack on second level from bottom of oven.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
- Remove leaves from half the mint, reserving stems.
- Stack the leaves, roll and cut them across into thin strips, and set aside.
- Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a 12-by-8-by-1 1/2-inch heavy roasting pan.
- Sprinkle chicken cavity with some of the salt and pepper, and stuff it with garlic, 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, the reserved mint stems and the remaining half bunch of mint with leaves attached.
- Pour 1/4 cup pomegranate juice over chicken.
- Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Place chicken in oven, legs first.
- Roast for 50 minutes.
- Move chicken once after the first 10 minutes with wooden spatula to keep it from sticking.
- The chicken should not burn.
- (If chicken smells as if it is burning, reduce heat to 400 degrees, and open oven door for a minute to lower the temperature quickly.
- Continue roasting at lower temperature.)
- The chicken will be a beautiful mahogany brown.
- Tilt chicken over pan to drain juices, and then remove chicken to a platter.
- Tilt roasting pan, and spoon out fat, leaving any juices.
- Place pan over medium-high heat.
- Pour in chicken stock and remaining 1/4 cup pomegranate juice.
- Bring liquid to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in remaining mint leaves.
- Lower heat, and simmer for 1 minute.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add any juices that have collected on the platter.
- Simmer for 30 seconds.
- Pour about half the pan juices over the bird, taking care that the platter does not overflow.
- Top with a few remaining seeds.
- Combine the rest of the juices into a sauce boat with remaining seeds, and serve with chicken.
mint, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, cloves garlic, chicken stock
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8868 (may not work)