Roast Chicken with Rhubarb Butter and Asparagus
A sophisticated roasted chicken dish featuring a unique rhubarb-butter compound, served with grilled asparagus and charred lemons. The chicken is butterflied and roasted until crispy, while the tart rhubarb butter adds an unexpected but delightful flavor dimension.
Ingredients
- •1 stalk rhubarb
- •¼ cup fresh orange juice
- •2 tablespoons honey
- •1 tablespoon ginger
- •½ cup unsalted butter
- •1 to taste kosher salt and pepper
- •1 whole chicken
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- •1 bunch asparagus
- •2 whole lemons
- •
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Bring rhubarb, orange juice, honey, and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is soft but not falling apart, about 5 minutes. Drain over a small bowl. Reserve cooking liquid and rhubarb separately; let cool.
10 min
- 2.
Mix rhubarb and butter in a small bowl until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Set aside 1 tablespoon rhubarb butter for vegetables.
5 min
- 3.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Gently slide your fingers underneath skin to loosen and rub flesh all over with remaining rhubarb butter (try not to tear skin). Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and some of the reserved rhubarb cooking liquid, scatter thyme over, and season with salt and pepper.
10 min
- 4.
Roast chicken until skin is browned and crisp and meat is cooked through (juices will run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should register 165°F), 40-50 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.
60 min
- 5.
Meanwhile, prepare grill for mediumhigh heat (or heat a grill pan over medium-high). Toss asparagus in a large bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill asparagus and lemons (cut side down), turning asparagus often, until stalks are just tender, 2-3 minutes. Let lemon halves cool.
10 min
- 6.
Toss asparagus with reserved rhubarb butter. Serve chicken and asparagus with any pan juices drizzled over with grilled lemons for squeezing over.
5 min
