Easy Curried Orange Chicken – An Old Family Favorite Recipe

  

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you will know that I have a great love for vintage recipes and vintage recipe books. This recipe I am sharing with you today comes from a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook from the 1968 entitled Cooking for Two. The book is loaded with recipes, menus, etc. designed to feed just two people.

It was a part of a whole series that the Better Homes & Gardens produced. I purchased a later version of the same books, one at time, before I even finished high school!  As a young wife and mother, they were a brilliant resource for me. There were quite a few titles in the series.  Many of the recipes became firm and fast favorites in my cooking repertoire.

I took them over to the U.K. with me but alas they got left behind when I had to come back to Canada. I have spent the last few years re-collecting a few of my favorites.

This chicken was always a family favorite. Sized for two, pieces of chicken are rubbed with curry powder and then baked in an orange, honey and mustard mixture until tender and juicy. The pan juices are then thickened to make a lush sauce to spoon over top.

Simple ingredients, put together simply with most delicious results. I really think you might also enjoy this, which is why I am sharing the recipe with you.  I really hope you will be inspired to give it a go!

 

    WHAT TO SERVE WITH

CURRIED ORANGE CHICKEN

The cookbook suggested that you serve this dish with:

Cream of Celery Soup

Buttered Asparagus

Fresh Fruit salad with Mayonnaise

Toasted Garlic Bread

Chocolate Sponge Cake & Ice cream

Coffee

That seemed to be a bit excessive to me. I don't think we eat as much these days as they did back in the day. They also used a 2-pound ready to cook broiler fryer chicken, cut up, which seemed to be a lot of chicken for two people as well!!

I served the chicken with some steamed basmati rice and frozen California mix vegetables, cooked. It was delicious!

It would be very easy to double this recipe to feed more people if you wanted to.  I don't think the sauce is suitable for freezing. I think it would split.

 

WHAT YOU NEED 

TO MAKE

CURRIED ORANGE CHICKEN

There is nothing really complicated needed to make this simple dish.

• 2 (each) bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/3 cup (80ml) orange juice
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 TBS prepared mustard
• 2 tsp cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1 TBS cold water
• 1 tsp freshly grated orange rind
• salt to taste

 

I cut up a whole chicken for this, cutting it into serving sized pieces. You can see how to do that in the notes below.

I used a medium strength curry powder. If you are really fond of the flavor of curry you can increase the amount to 1 tsp.

I used fresh orange juice.

I used a local runny honey, and French's American mustard as that is what they would have used back in the day. 

The original recipe used chopped fresh orange flesh in the sauce. I didn't think that I would enjoy the texture of it, so I added some grated orange zest in its place.

 

HOW TO MAKE 

CURRIED ORANGE CHICKEN

This is really very simple to make. Effortless really.

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces in one layer. (I used a 1 liter/QT shallow baking dish.)
2. Trim your pieces of chicken, discarding any excess pieces of skin or fat. Rub the curry powder into the chicken. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish, skin side down. (I used a medium strength curry powder. I trimmed off any extra skin and fat.)
3. Whisk the mustard, honey, and orange juice together. Pour this mixture over top of the chicken. (I always use a flat wire whisk; it does a brilliant job.)
4. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip over and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes until tender and the juices run clear. (The internal temperature should read 165*F/75*C on an instant read thermometer.)
5. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm, reserving the pan juices.
6. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small saucepan. Whisk in the orange zest and the juices from the chicken. (The original recipe used the chopped flesh of half an orange added now and heated through. I didn't like that idea so added just orange zest to heighten the orange flavor.)
7. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium high heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes longer. (Don't allow to boil or the sauce may split.)
8. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as necessary. (It may need a pinch. I added just a touch.)
9. Serve the chicken pieces with some of the sauce spooned over top and pass the remainder of the sauce at the table. (I garnished my chicken with some orange slices and chopped fresh parsley.)

 

HOW TO CUT UP A WHOLE CHICKEN

Cutting up your own chicken is a lot cheaper than buying store cut chicken and its really easy to do if you have a sharp boning knife and a set of kitchen scissors. 

 1. Lay the bird on its back. Wiggle a wing to determine where the joint attaches to the breast. To separate the wing from the breast, use a sharp knife to cut through the ball joint where it meets the breast. Repeat with the other wing. 

 2.Pull a leg away from the body to see where it attaches. To remove the whole leg, first cut through the skin between the thigh and the breast. 

 3. Continue to pull on the leg and wiggle it a bit to determine where the thigh meets the socket in the back. Use a boning knife or paring knife to cut through that joint. Repeat with the other leg. 

4. Place each leg skin-side down. With your hand and knife, bend the leg to feel for the ball joint. That's where the drumstick and thigh are connected. Then, look for the thin line of fat that runs along the ball joint. Cut through the line of fat to separate the thigh and drumstick. Wiggle the joint as needed so it's easy to cut. Repeat with the other leg. I often just keep the thigh and drumstick together as a chicken quarter joint. Its up to you.

5. To remove the backbone, start at the head end of the bird and cut through the rib cage on one side of the backbone with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove it completely. (I like to reserve the backbone and neck for chicken stock.) 

6.Now cut the breast into two halves. Place the breast skin-side down. To protect your hand, fold a kitchen towel and place it on top of a heavy, sharp knife. Use your weight to cut through the breast bone and cartilage down the center of the breast. 

7. Now that you have two breast halves, if you think they are overly large, you can cut each breast half in half again, crosswise. The wishbone is located at the thick part of the breast. If you want, you can tease the meat away from the two pieces of wishbone using your hands and/or a sharp knife to scrape the meat from the bone.

The first time you cut up your own chicken it can be a bit intimidating, but once you have done it you will see how easy it is and each time you do it, it becomes that much easier. You can also see a video on how to cut up your own chicken here. 

 

HERE ARE A FEW

OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES YOU

MIGHT ENJOY

SPICED ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS - Crispy-skinned, juicy-centered, and infused with a bold blend of coriander, ginger and cracked black pepper. Roasted to perfection they are delicious served with a lush Roasted Garlic Lemon Sauce, which is also very simple to make and goes perfectly with the chicken!  Pair with Hasselback sweet potatoes and vibrant green beans for a meal that’s as nourishing as it is unforgettable.

DELECTABLE MUSTARD BAKED CHICKEN - Bone in, skin on, chicken quarters are marinated in a mix of sweet paprika (not hot or smoked), dry mustard powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil.  Simple. Slow-roasted until meltingly tender, then finished at a higher heat for irresistibly crispy skin, it’s comfort food with a punch. Serve alongside buttery mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed greens for a meal that is hearty, wholesome and delicious!

  

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Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Curried Orange Chicken

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

This is a simple chicken recipe taken from one of my vintage cookbooks. What you have here is deliciously tender and juicy chicken with a lush orange sauce, that goes together very quickly and easily and tastes wonderful!

Ingredients

• 2 (each) bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/3 cup (80ml) orange juice
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 TBS prepared mustard
• 2 tsp cornstarch (corn flour)
• 1 TBS cold water
• 1 tsp freshly grated orange rind
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Have ready a baking dish large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces in one layer.
2. Trim your pieces of chicken, discarding any excess pieces of skin or fat. Rub the curry powder into the chicken. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish, skin side down.
3. Whisk the mustard, honey, and orange juice together. Pour this mixture over top of the chicken.
4. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip over and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes until tender and the juices run clear.
5. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm, reserving the pan juices.
6. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small saucepan. Whisk in the orange zest and the juices from the chicken.
7. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium high heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as necessary.
9. Serve the chicken pieces with some of the sauce spooned over top and pass the remainder of the sauce at the table.

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