This recipe is from Adam Liaw’s fabulous Adam’s Big Pot, a book dedicated to big and easy meals for your family. Adam began cooking when he was eight years old and vividly remembered this dish he made for his family. It was warmly received and, for decades, he’s pleased family and friends.
Adam is Australian and uses an ingredient here you may not have encountered: Chicken Maryland. What is that? Just a whole chicken leg, both drumstick and thigh. It’s a neat term and I cannot find out at all how Australians every came up with this charming phrase.
This is a perfect recipe. Bright in flavor, easily made, requiring only a handful of ingredient. But the combination of orange juice, honey, soy sauce and ginger is unbeatable.
Prefer white meat? By all means, just substitute chicken breasts.
Adam notes that you can add a tablespoon or two of Grand Marnier to slide in a layer of sophistication.
Orange Baked Chicken
Yield: makes 1 quart
Ingredients:
6 chicken Marylands, cut through the joint to separate the drumsticks and thighs
¾ cup orange juice (about1 ½ oranges, slice and reserve the leftover half)
Grated rind of 2 oranges
¼ cup honey
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons grated ginger
Salt, to season
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 190°C (fan-forced).
Cut 2-3 deep slits into each drumstick, to the bone. Mix the remaining ingredients, except the salt, together in a large non-reactive bowl along with the chicken.
Place a few slices of orange on a lined baking tray, and arrange the drumstick portions of the chicken on top (making sure there is enough room for the thighs later), season with salt and bake for 20 minutes, basting with the marinade after 10 minutes. Add the thigh portions, season them with salt, and bake for a further 30 minutes, basting all the chicken pieces every 10 minutes until they are glossy, browned and cooked through.
Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before serving.
Source: Adam’s Big Pot by Adam Liaw [Hamlyn, 2017]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/3.5 for 1/30th second at ISO‑1600