Baked chicken may seem unpretentious and mundane dish for a festive feast, for which good housewives want to cook food not only tasty, but also original. However, chicken in orange sauce is a great opportunity to surprise guests with a piquant taste and original serving. In addition, it is prepared easily and does not take much time.
The subtleties of pickling
Orange juice gives the bird an unusual citrus flavor, and the ascorbic acid in its composition makes the meat juicy and tender. To make the chicken in orange sauce flawless, you need to follow a few rules.
- For the marinade, you should not buy juice in the store, it is too sweet and filled with preservatives, dyes and other chemicals that are absolutely not needed in meat.
- The meat is pickled in juice of high-quality and, which is highly desirable, fresh oranges. Spoiled fruits are not good, they will convey an unpleasant taste to the dish.
- Chicken does not need long pickling. You can leave the meat in juice for the night, but usually three or four hours are enough for the chicken to well absorb the aromas of spices and the taste of citrus.
- If there is very little time, then cuts are made on the meat with a knife - so it is soundly marinated in an hour or two.
- Chicken in orange sauce should not be pickled in aluminum dishes, since ascorbic acid chemically reacts with aluminum and breaks down. It is best to use enameled containers, dishes made of stainless steel or glass. Alternatively, you can put the bird in a bag.
- In order for meat to be better saturated with juice, it needs to be turned over from time to time.
Meat preparation
Chicken in orange sauce can be cooked in whole carcasses or cut into portions. The carcass looks prettier on the table, but with portioned pieces there is less trouble. Meat so marinated in this way is perfect for baking in the oven in simple dishes, in the sleeve or under the foil, stewing in a cauldron with vegetables, frying in a pan, grilling or as a barbecue.
Juice tastes even not very young chicken, but still it is better to choose a fresh and young bird that has not undergone multiple freeze / thaw cycles.
Before cooking, the meat should be washed and dried with paper towels. Some housewives remove the skin and excess fat to make the food harmless. However, a golden crust makes the final dish more festive and mouth-watering, and meat with fat is juicier.
Pickling
The amount of ingredients in the marinade depends on the mass of meat. You can use only orange juice, garlic, vegetable oil, black pepper and salt. But sometimes ginger, mustard, honey, and favorite spices for poultry are added. In a word, there is a wide field for culinary experiments. The marinade is done as follows:
- Add grated or crushed garlic to olive or vegetable oil.
- Squeeze juice from oranges and cut or grate the zest.
- Mix all the ingredients, pepper and salt the mixture.
- If you wish, add other spices and products.
- Pour the carcass or pieces of the bird with the marinade; it is better to completely immerse the meat in it.
- Marinate in a cool place for at least a couple of hours by turning the carcass or shaking the bag.
Recipe: Oven Chicken in Orange Sauce
Structure:
- chicken carcass or portioned pieces - 1.5 kg;
- vegetable oil, but better quality olive - 80 ml;
- oranges - 700 g;
- garlic - 3-4 cloves;
- pepper, spices, salt - to taste.
Cooking
Pickle meat. Put the carcass or slices in a baking dish and place in a preheated oven. Chicken in orange sauce is cooked for about an hour in the oven at a temperature of about 200 ยฐ C. You can bake with slices of orange or decorate each serving of meat with a circle of fruit. The dish goes well with vegetable salads, rice, baked potatoes.
Barbecue Chicken Recipe in Orange Sauce
Structure:
- chicken sliced โโin small pieces - 1.5 kg;
- vegetable oil - 80 ml;
- orange juice - 400-500 ml;
- mustard - 1 tbsp. l .;
- garlic - four cloves;
- onions - 2 heads;
- honey, ginger root - 20 g each;
- spices, salt - to taste.
Cooking
It is more convenient to pre-marinate the meat at home, but you can do this in camping conditions directly in nature. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade, add to the bowl with meat and chopped onion rings, mix thoroughly and leave at least for a couple of hours. Spraying with dark beer or orange juice, fry meat on skewers or grill until cooked. As a rule, with a good heat of coal, the kebab will be ready in 10-15 minutes. Serve with vegetable salads or grilled vegetables.