Roasted chicken with rose hip glaze, herbs, apples, and shallots

In the recent rose hip jelly post I promised a rose hip glazed chicken recipe. This is inspired by Hank Shaw. His blog is absolutely fascinating with a wealth of information about foraging and hunting and how to cook up the bounty. I was intrigued by his Roast Sharptail Grouse recipe where he used a rose hip glaze on the birds because they were eating rose hips when he shot them. Since I haven’t shot a grouse in 18 years (and that is the only thing I ever shot), but I have some rose hip jelly on hand I figured I’d pop down to the store and give something a whirl with a good ‘ol store bought chicken.

There is something so satisfying about a beautifully roasted chicken and the rose hip glaze gives it a sweet and subtle twist. A key to getting a really nicely browned bird is to have a shallow roasting pan so the heat can really get in around it. This inexpensive IKEA dish is my favorite choice for roasting chicken. It is just big enough to hold the bird along with some trimmings. It’s simple, presentable enough to go from the oven directly to the table if you like, and cleans up like a dream. I can highly recommend it.

Roasted chicken with rose hip glaze, herbs, apples, and shallots
Serves 3-4

For the glaze:
4 tablespoons rose hip jelly
3 tablespoons water
2 sprigs thyme

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
6-10 shallots, peeled and halved if large
3 gala apples cut into wedges
Extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 pound chicken
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Bring the rose hip jelly and water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add the thyme sprigs, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep 30 minutes and then remove the thyme sprigs.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the apples and shallots in the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and toss with the chopped thyme. Move everything to the sides of the pan to form a ring, leaving an empty space in the middle for the chicken.

3. Place the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and crushed garlic in the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken breast side up in the center of the baking dish, surrounded by the apples and shallots. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes and then brush it with half of the rose hip glaze. Roast it for 15-20 minutes more and brush on the remaining glaze. Roast an additional 15-20 minutes or until the breast reaches 160°F (71°C) and the juices run clear. If you want to caramelize the glaze a bit more you can briefly turn on the broiler but be very careful as things will burn quickly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.