Ingredients
4 to 5 lb whole roasting chicken, cleaned and patted dry
3 blood Oranges, 2 zest, and peeled a chopped, the other one quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 cloves of garlic smashed
2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temp
6 to 8 sprigs of thyme
3 shallots diced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a small bowl and whip the 2 sticks of butter adding into it the zest from the oranges and some of the leaves from the thyme. Next, take the chopped flesh from the two oranges and quickly pulse in the food processor and strain. Take 1 tablespoon of the juice and mix it into the butter.
Place the whole chicken on a cutting board; using your fingers slowly loosen the skin from the meat of the bird around the breast and the underside of the bird. Next, take the butter mixer and place it between the skin and the meat. You will use about 3/4 of the butter. Now place the smashed garlic, the onion, and the quartered blood orange in the cavity of the bird. Now turn the bird with the opening away from you and truss the bird with string. Place the bird on a roasting rack within a deep roasting pan. Before placing the bird the oven, spread the remaining butter over the bird, making sure that you get it between the legs and the wings. Note: tuck the wings under the bird when roasting.
Place in oven and roast for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Now for a 4 to 5 lb bird, you will cook the bird from 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Once done remove bird and let rest.
Remove drippings from pan and set aside.
In a skillet over medium-high heat place the olive oil and shallots, saute shallots until tender. Lower heat to medium and add butter and the balance of the blood orange juice, salt, and pepper to taste. After one minute add the chicken drippings and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid and whisk in the flour and return to skillet whisk as you go. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until thickened. Note: if you do not have enough drippings from the pan use 1 cup of chicken stock.
Carve up the chicken and serve with gravy.
Enjoy cooking