Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Glazed Rhubarb

Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Glazed Rhubarb
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1½ hours, plus marinating
Rating
4(263)
Comments
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A tangy rhubarb-lemon glaze gives roasted chicken a touch of sweetness and a deeply golden, crunchy skin. The rhubarb, which is cooked in the oven along with the chicken (but in a separate pan), becomes syrupy and soft, scented with thyme, coriander and fresh ginger. Some of the rhubarb mixture is brushed over the bird to help bronze its skin, while the rest makes a chutney-like condiment to serve alongside. If you have thin-skinned, mildly sweet Meyer lemons, you can skip the blanching in Step 3 and add the slices straight from the rhubarb pan. Regular lemons, especially those with a lot of the bitter white pith, really benefit from a brief blanch. This dish is wonderful over polenta or rice, which can absorb both chicken and rhubarb juices. Add a simple green salad (spinach is especially nice here), and dinner is done.

Featured in: This Is Some Spring Chicken

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Chicken

    • teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
    • teaspoons ground coriander
    • 1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    • ¾teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
    • ½teaspoon black pepper
    • 1large garlic clove, grated or minced
    • 1(3½- to 4½-pound) chicken, patted dry
    • 3thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
    • 1medium red onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
    • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

    For the Rhubarb

    • Kosher salt, as needed
    • ½lemon
    • 1pound rhubarb, sliced crosswise ½-inch thick
    • ½cup granulated sugar
    • 1(2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
    • ½teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 3thyme sprigs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

889 calories; 56 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 59 grams protein; 1512 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small bowl, combine salt, ground coriander, lemon zest, ginger, pepper and garlic. Rub it all over chicken, including inside the cavity and under the skin. Stuff thyme sprigs into cavity.

  2. Step 2

    Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, and marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the rhubarb: Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Thinly slice the lemon into ⅛-inch rounds. Remove any seeds. Quarter lemon rounds into triangles. Blanch lemon pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain.

  4. Step 4

    In a 9-by-9-inch baking dish or a pie pan, toss together blanched lemons, rhubarb, sugar, ginger, coriander seeds, a pinch of salt and thyme sprigs. Let fruit macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (You can do this while the chicken is marinating.)

  5. Step 5

    When ready to roast, arrange an oven rack in the center of oven and another one below. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onions in medium mixing bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and set aside.

  6. Step 6

    Generously drizzle olive oil over chicken. Roast chicken on the center rack and rhubarb below for 20 to 25 minutes, until rhubarb is glazed and syrupy.

  7. Step 7

    Remove rhubarb and lower oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush or spoon some of the rhubarb syrup all over chicken. Scatter red onion pieces around chicken on baking sheet, then continue to roast until skin is golden and cooked through and onions are browned, about 25 to 35 minutes longer.

  8. Step 8

    Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with onions, rhubarb and more thyme for garnish.

Ratings

4 out of 5
263 user ratings
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Comments

Variations. Fresh rosemary sprigs can substitute for, or enhance, the thyme in both chicken cavity and rhubarb sauce. Part of a fennel bulb, sliced to the same thickness as the rhubarb, and roasted at the same time, will add depth. (Fennel fronds can be used as garnish.) White raisins (added at step 4) make a nice addition to the chutney. It’s a good rule to go slightly scant on the sugar before roasting rhubarb. You can always make the glaze sweeter, to your taste.

Tasty, juicy chicken. The chutney didn't produce very much syrup (I didn't macerate for long), but was soft enough that I was able to mash some and put it on the chicken. I'd like to try this with peaches.

I don't understand how you marinate a whole chicken in a rimmed baking pan (Step 2). A baking pan is shallow, and the bulk of the chicken would be sitting above any marinade. Can anyone advise me?

incred! i subbed the blanched lemon for preserved lemon which worked really well

Like another commenter, I spatchcocked the chicken – a shorter cooking time and more crispy skin. A real win-win! I did a dry brine (just salt) overnight and then added the spice rub a few hours before – a la the fabulous recipe from Zuni Cafe. The chutney was delicious but not pink. I’d hoped for more color served alongside asparagus. How can I get the vibrant pink like in the photo?

This is one of my favorite meals in the whole world.

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