Whole roasted chicken with mandarin and mulled wine spices

When the seasons change and we get into the cooler months, it's all about the warm spices. This mulled wine spiced chicken with mandarin and herbs is a perfect family dinner.

Whole roasted chicken with mandarin and mulled wine spices. Credit: Comfort Food With Spencer Watts

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1 bunch rosemary
• 1 mandarin, sliced into coins

Chicken seasoning

• 2 cinnamon sticks, whole
• 2 star anise, whole
• 3 cloves, whole
• 1 tsp powdered chicken bouillon
• 1 tsp salt
• 225 g (½ lb) butter, unsalted

Mandarin orange glaze

• 5 whole mandarins
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 1 cup honey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 knob ginger, sliced

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
• Pat the chicken dry. Season the inside of the chicken with a pinch of salt. Stuff with mandarin orange slices. Add fresh herbs to the cavity and using butcher’s twine, truss the chicken tying the wings in tightly to the bird.
• For the seasoning, add cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves to a spice grinder and pulse to a powder. Place into a bowl. Add chicken bouillon and season with salt. Add butter and combine until the seasoning is well mixed.
• Spread the seasoning butter all over the chicken liberally and place the chicken onto a raised baking rack over a tray. Place in pre-heated oven.
• While the chicken cooks, juice the mandarins and place the juice into a saucepan. Add star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves to the pot. Add honey, soy sauce and ginger. Cook until thick.
• When the chicken is cooked (check after an hour, depending on the size of the chicken it could take around 1 hour 10-1 hour 20) and has an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve with sauce drizzled over top.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.