Honey Roasted Autumn Spiced Chicken

I got the idea to roast a whole chicken with autumn spices. I wasn't the first person to come up with it, but it was a delicious idea. This was the second chicken I made like this in two weeks' time.

This was the first chicken I roasted like this, and when I put the honey on it, it burnt, so this is the back of the chicken, which wasn't burnt. The solution to this was simple: just tent the chicken with foil in the last baking session, and the problem was solved.

Honey Roasted Autumn Spiced Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

6 lb. chicken

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch onion powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the salt, and all spices in a small bowl. Rinse the chicken with cool water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Coat the chicken with the honey; both sides, and then rub the spice mixture over the whole chicken and also into the cavity of the chicken. 

Place the chicken into a greased dutch oven and lay the chicken breast-side down. Cover and roast for 45 minutes, then increase the temperature to 400°F, remove the lid , and roast 20 minutes more. Flip the chicken breast-side up and tent the top of the dutch oven with a loose foil layer. Roast 30 minutes longer and it is done when the thickest part of the chicken (thigh) reaches 165°F.

The sides in the meal were:

Cinnamon and honey roasted plums: 

I used what I had which were:

4-5 plums

Cut the plums in half and remove the stone. 

Place in a shallow baking dish with 

2 tablespoons water. 

Drizzle with: 

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon lemon and sprinkle with cinnamon. 

Place in 350°F preheated oven. 

Cover the dish with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until fork tender but not falling apart. 

The baking dish will naturally make an amazing glaze that can be drizzled on the plums or the chicken.

This recipe will work with peaches, apricots, nectarines or any stone fruit. 

I also served it with my standard mashed potatoes, green beans, and orange wedges.

This is my favorite way to make biscuits, in a cast iron skillet. There is no wasted dough and no extra manipulation of the dough to re-roll out, which takes more time and does not make as nice a biscuit. 

I found a wonderful 2-ingredient recipe that is so simple, and it may now be my favorite.

Two-Ingredient Skillet Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 500°F. 

Prepare a well seasoned cast-iron skillet (I think mine is a nine or ten inch.)

place the flour in a large bowl. Gradually stir in cream and stir until just incorporated. (this will be a sticky dough). Scrape out the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface. 

Gently knead the dough and roll out until a 1/2-inch thick and I make it the shape of my cast iron skillet. I place the disc of dough into the skillet and cut into it the square biscuits with a dough cutter/scraper. Place the skillet into the oven and bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and serve hot. 

Enjoy!

In Victory,

Sherry