Roast Chicken with Plums

We saw this recipe for Roast Chickens with Plums in The New York Times. We decided to make it and really liked it. It was plum season and we found small plums that were very sweet and juicy at Cookbook. We will make this again!

Roast Chickens with Plums

New York Times

This recipe, which roasts two chickens at the same time, has been engineered to feed a crowd. It's no harder than roasting one chicken. The birds get rubbed down with a garlicky sumac spice rub brightened with lemon zest. Then, as they cook, their fragrant drippings season sliced plums roasting in the pan underneath them, which caramelize into a fruity, chutney-like sauce. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d rather, but be sure to reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. For two chickens you need the higher heat so they both crisp properly, but for only one chicken, slightly lower heat keeps the plums from burning.

Ingredients

For The Chicken:

2       large lemons

2       tablespoons ground sumac

4       teaspoons kosher salt

1       tablespoon black pepper

1       teaspoon cinnamon

1       teaspoon allspice

4       tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4       garlic cloves, grated or minced

2       chickens, 4 to 4 1/2 pounds each

1       bunch thyme, more for garnish

For The Plums:

2-¼  pounds plums, halved or quartered if large

4       shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

2       tablespoons honey

1       tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½      teaspoon salt

½      teaspoon cinnamon

¼      teaspoon allspice

1       bay leaf, torn in half

Preparation

1.   Grate the zest from the lemons and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemons.

2.   Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic. The mixture should feel like wet sand. Rub it all over the chickens, including inside the cavity.

3.   Divide thyme bunch in half and place in the chicken cavities. Place chickens on a roasting rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

4.   When ready to roast, let chickens come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

5.   In a large roasting pan, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons water. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place chickens on the rack over the plums in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.

6.   Meanwhile, squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon and mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle this over the chicken, then continue to roast until the birds are golden-skinned and cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.

7.   Let chickens rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.