Roasted Cara Cara Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (approximately 4 lb.), butterflied
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 5-6 new potatoes, quartered
• 2 Cara Cara Oranges, sliced

For the Glaze:

• 1 Cara Cara Orange, juiced
• ¼ cup honey

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. and place a rack on the lower middle position.

Preparing the Chicken:

1. Using kitchen shears, cut up the back of a whole chicken (remove giblets) on both sides of the backbone, removing it completely. That will allow the chicken to be butterflied so both breasts face up.
2. Add a few slices of red oranges to the bottom of a large high-walled baking dish. Place the chicken on the orange slices in the center of the dish (breast side up).
3. Rub chicken well with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and thyme (1/2 teaspoon each approximately).
4. Peel and chop all the vegetables into 1 ½-inch pieces. Quarter the new potatoes.
5. Toss all the vegetables with remaining olive oil and spices. Spread around the chicken in the baking dish. Add orange slices to the dish as well.
6. Bake the chicken at 425 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes until the skin starts to brown nicely. Then turn heat down to 375 degrees F. and roast chicken until it reaches 165 degrees F. in the thickest part of the breast, about another 30-35 minutes although you should use a meat thermometer to make sure it's cooked through.
7. Once you turn the temperature down on the chicken, brush the chicken with orange honey glaze twice while baking.

Making the Honey Orange Glaze:

1. While the chicken bakes at the higher temperature, combine the juice of one red orange and ¼ cup of honey in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the mixture reduces by half, about 8 minutes. Then let cool.
3. Brush the glaze on the chicken liberally during the final baking time.