Chicken Baked with Mandarin and Spices in the Oven

The most ideal option is, of course, to buy a young, meaty farm chicken or rooster, weighing about one and a half kilograms, which will be enough for about four servings. If you have a large family or plan to have many guests, prepare two or three chickens. Leftovers can be reheated the next day, or used for sandwiches or salads with cold roasted chicken, which is very delicious. To make the chicken especially tender and flavorful, it needs to be rubbed with spicy butter. It is very easy to prepare. Softened butter at room temperature should be mixed with salt, pepper, and half of the thyme leaves. Rub the entire chicken with this butter, trying to work it under the skin. During roasting, the butter will slowly melt, permeating the meat with the aroma of spices.

Wash and halve the tangerines, which can be partially or completely replaced with oranges. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and thoroughly rinse them, as they usually have sand and dirt between the layers. You can also roast fennel slices with the chicken, if desired.

Arrange all the vegetables and fruits on a baking sheet, then place the chicken on top. I placed it on a bed of leeks, and the chicken juices soaked into the onions, making them incredibly delicious. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary, remaining thyme, and anise seeds. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Place the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170 degrees Celsius and continue baking the chicken for 1 hour 15-20 minutes. During the baking process, baste the chicken several times with a mixture of boiling water and soy sauce in a 1:1 ratio. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes, and serve.