CHINESE FIVE-SPICE LACQUERED CHICKEN

From China to Peru, from Hungary to France, at any given time, anywhere in the world, you can smell the aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven.
This recepi is courtesy from Food Network Kitchen Cookbook.


Ingredients:


Chicken

1 3-to-4 pound chicken, excess fat trimmed and giblets removed
3 scallions (white and green parts), cut in 4 pieces
6 coin-sized slices fresh ginger
1 1x3-inch strip orange zest
2 tsp peanut oil
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp lite soy sauce
2 tsp five-spice-powder


Sauce

1/2 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 scallion (white and green parts), thinly sliced


Method:

1. For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425F. Stuff the chicken cavity with the scallions, ginger coins, and orange zest. Set a v-or regular rack in a roasting pan and brush with 1 tsp of the peanut oil. Whisk the remaining 1 tsp peanut oil with the sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce. Brush the soy mixture over all of the chicken and sprinkle with five-spice powder.

2. Tuck the wings under the back, cross the legs, and tie them with kitchen twine. Place the chicken breast side down on the rack and roast until the back is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven and turn it breast side up. Cut the string where it holds the legs together and gently open the legs a bit. Baste the chicken with the pan drippings and roast again until the breast is golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted in the tight registers 170F, 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer to a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

3. For the sauce : Whisk the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, orange zest, ginger, garlic, and scallion in a small bowl. Carve the chicken into 8 pieces, serve with rice, and pass the dipping sauce at the table.