Cool off inside with versatile chicken

As much as I love to cook chicken on the grill, summertime just gets too hot. It is very fortunate that chicken is so versatile. It lends itself to many flavor combinations and cooking methods. So today, I thought we would stay inside, and feast on some yardbird.

I am sharing two roasted chicken recipes with you. The first is a Hot Honey Butter Roasted Chicken. The second is a Roasted Citrus Chicken with Creole mustard sauce. Both of these dishes are great for Sunday Dinners, replacing the traditional Fried Chicken. Grab the chicken from the store, and Let’s head to the kitchen!

Hot Honey Butter Roasted Chicken

Hot Honey is all the rage these days. The balance of the heat and sweet really sets this dish apart. You can always reduce the hot sauce in this recipe.

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup butter, cubed, room temperature , and divided

6 tablespoons hot sauce, divided

5 tablespoons honey, divided

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (6 1/2 to 7 pounds) whole young chicken, cut into 8 pieces, backbone and giblets discarded

2 lemons, cut into 1/4-inch slices

6 sprigs fresh thyme

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter, 4 tablespoons hot sauce, 3 tablespoons honey, salt, thyme, and pepper over medium heat until butter is melted. Let cool to room temperature.

In a large resealable bag, place butter mixture; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

On prepared pan, arrange lemon and thyme sprigs in a single layer. Remove chicken from bag, marinade, and place on lemon and thyme sprigs.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 165℉, 30 to 40 minutes, loosely covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning.

In another medium saucepan, heat remaining 1/3 cup butter, remaining 2 tablespoons hot sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons honey over medium heat until butter is melted. Serve with chicken.

Roasted Citrus Chicken with Creole Mustard Sauce

I am not a big mustard fan, except when it comes to Creole mustard. The citrus notes makes this one of my favorite chicken dishes.

4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs ( about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges

1 medium orange, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds, seeds removed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

4 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon Creole mustard

1/2 cup pitted green olives, halved

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 425℉. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat dry.

in a 12-inch enamel-coated cast-iron braised, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken, and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion, orange, , and rosemary sprig, stirring to coat in chicken drippings; spread in an even layer on bottom of skillet. Arrange chicken on top, skin side up.

Bake until chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken mixture to a serving dish, reserving drippings in skillet. Keep warm.

Add garlic to skillet; cook over medium heat until softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vinegar; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, orange juice and mustard; bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in olives, honey, Creole seasoning, chopped thyme, and chopped rosemary. Spoon sauce over chicken mixture, or return chicken mixture to pan, and coat with sauce. Serve immediately.

I know that not everyone likes the same pieces of chicken. The beauty of these recipes is that you can substitute the pieces you like with the ones in the recipes. That’s why grocery stores have each individual piece of chicken that can be bought separately.

Next time, we will make some desserts featuring a fruit of the season. Until then, Good Cooking!, Good Eating!, Good Living!