Christmas spice-and-orange chicken

christmas chicken with spices and orange
Prep time
25min
Cook time
60min
Serves
4

Celebrate Christmas with a classic combination of spices, orange and succulent chicken.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

  • 4 chicken thighs
  •  1 Tbsp (15ml) olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp (30ml) orange juice
  • 1 tsp (5ml) orange zest
  • 1/2 Tbsp (7.5ml) honey
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5ml)ground cinnamon
  • 1.25ml ground star anise
  • 1.25ml ground cloves
  • salt and pepper

Pumpkin:

  • 1kg pumpkin
  • 1 Tbsp (15ml) olive oil
  • 1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) dried thyme
  • salt and pepper

Method:

Chicken:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Place the chicken pieces on a roasting tray.
  • In a bowl, whisk the oil, orange juice and zest, honey, thyme, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and seasoning together. Pour the mixture over the chicken and massage it into the skin.
  • Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 hour.

Pumpkin:

  • Slice the pumpkin into even-sized wedges and place on a roasting tray.
  • Mix the oil, cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper together, and toss through the pumpkin.
  • Roast the pumpkin for 40-50 minutes, until caramelised and cooked through.
  • To serve: Serve the chicken in a dish with the pumpkin on the side. Garnish with fresh thyme.