Roasted Chicken With Figs and Rosemary
Updated February 27, 2024
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus 2 hours' marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
4 ½ pounds bone-in chicken parts
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 rosemary sprigs, needles removed from stems (discard the stems)
2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane or finely minced
½ teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest, plus optional orange or lemon wedges for serving
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ripe figs, stemmed and quartered lengthwise
1 to 2 jalapeño or red chile peppers, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
17 grams carbs; 333 milligrams cholesterol; 869 calories; 28 grams monosaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 63 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1014 milligrams sodium; 57 grams protein; 13 grams sugar
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
- Step 1
In a large bowl, toss chicken with salt, rosemary, garlic, citrus zest and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight (the longer the better).
- Step 2
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread chicken pieces out on two rimmed baking sheets, making sure there is plenty of room between the pieces. Arrange figs among the chicken pieces, then scatter jalapeño slices on top. Drizzle everything generously with olive oil.
- Step 3
Roast, switching the position of the baking pans after 15 minutes so everything browns evenly, until the chicken is golden and cooked through. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes for the breast meat, and 30 to 40 for the dark meat. Serve chicken with the orange or lemon wedges for squeezing, if you like.
Private Notes
Comments
As there are only 2 of us, I would probably use a larger Cornish hen, halved. Cooked fresh, not from frozen, they are succulent. I'd also chop the rosemary and keep to a minimum. The leaves are always hard little critters which my husband picks out.
Has anyone discovered, as I have, that you can keep a container of Minute Made concentrated orange juice in your freezer. It's a great go-to if you don't have fresh orange about; rich, robust orange flavor instantly.
I actually debuted an experimental recipe last week that resembled this -- with a future rosh hashana appearance in mind: in addition to the figs, I added leeks and olives.
I've made a similar recipe (with leeks and hard plums) for years. I separate the breasts and wings on one pan, thighs and drumsticks on the other. I put the dark meat tray in 8-10 minutes first (on the upper rack) then move it to the lower rack & slide in the white meat pan on the upper rack. Works wonderfully.
I have no young children around, so I use two tiny or one large habenero sliced on a mandoline to add a bite to the sweetness of the plums and leeks.
Fabulous. Decided I preferred orange to lemon but did not have an orange so used a tangerine. Wonderful. Easy. Company worthy.
Outstanding recipe that I have now cooked twice. Didn’t have time to marinate so used extra garlic and orange juice. Our fig tree keeps cranking out pounds of figs so this recipe makes a delicious, saucy meal. (I do chop up the rosemary very finely so no one gets a long piece stuck in their throat!)
Our fig tree just started producing this year… Way too many! This was a delicious recipe however, next time I would add the figs halfway through the cooking process perhaps because they got a little too charred. The citrus was great on it after it was served.