Asian-Style Orange Chicken Roasted Under a Brick

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 oranges
• 1 lime
• 2 scallions, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ponzu or rice-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) or honey
• 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Place a large resealable plastic bag in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using a vegetable peeler, peel strips of zest from 1 orange and the lime; transfer zest to bag.
2. Juice zested orange and lime into bag. Add scallions, garlic, soy sauce, ponzu, and mirin. Seal; shake to mix marinade.
3. Using poultry shears, cut along sides of chicken backbone; remove. Add chicken to bag; seal. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 2 hours or up to 12.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan 10 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Brush chicken breast with vegetable oil. Flatten chicken, and place it, breast side down, in skillet. Roast chicken about 40 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from oven. Pour a small amount of water into skillet; swirl to help loosen skin from bottom, if needed. Turn chicken over. Baste with pan juices; roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit, juices run clear, and skin is crisp, about 5-10 minutes more.
6. Let chicken stand 10 minutes. Just before carving chicken, squeeze juice from remaining orange over it. Carve chicken into at least 6 pieces, cut breasts in half.