While it may not be evident from the title, I’m talking about rhubarb. In botanical circles, rhubarb is a vegetable since it is a part of a plant (the stem) that is used as a food by humans. Most chefs would consider it a fruit due to its being used primarily in sweet dishes. And some think of it as an alien life form because of its likeness to Audrey II, the alien plant in the 1986 movie version of Little Shop of Horrors. As a gardener with a food blog who saw the film when it came out, rhubarb is all of these things to me!
The rhubarb in my garden is always the first plant to start sending up shoots in the spring. It comes up at the same time as the daffodils do in other parts of the yard, and before the forsythia has bloomed. I keep an eye out for the rhubarb. It reassures me that spring is definitely on the way in, with summer not far behind, and that winter is finally retreating.
I harvest the rhubarb as soon as the stalks reach 10 inches in length. Being a hardy producer, I can harvest a few stalks per plant all spring and into the summer. What I don’t use right away, I wash, dice and freeze for later use. There are always more rhubarb recipes I want to try. This recipe falls into the savory category. Rhubarb is definitely a vegetable today!
Chicken with Rhubarb Butter
Roast Chicken with Rhubarb Butter (adapted from bonappetit.com) Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 large rhubarb stalk, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3-4 ounces)
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon finely grated, peeled ginger
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 3½ – 4 pound chicken, backbone removed, then patted dry
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Preparation:
Bring the rhubarb, orange juice, honey, and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook it, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is soft, about 5 minutes. Drain the rhubarb over a small bowl, reserving the cooking liquid and the rhubarb separately. Set it aside to cool.
Cooking the rhubarb in the juice & honey will give the dish a touch of sweetness.
Mix the rhubarb with 7 tablespoons of the butter in a small bowl until it is smooth. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Set aside the remaining tablespoon of butter for the outside of the chicken.
Combine the cooked rhubarb with most of the butter.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the skin of the chicken by sliding your fingers underneath it, and rub the flesh all over with the rhubarb butter, being careful not to tear the skin.
Stuff the rhubarb butter under the skin of the chicken.
Rub the remaining butter over the skin of the chicken, drizzle some of the reserved rhubarb cooking liquid over the bird, then sprinkle the thyme over the chicken and season it with salt and pepper.
Rub some plain butter on the skin, then season the chicken.
Roast the chicken until the skin is browned and crisp and the meat is cooked through, about 40−50 minutes. The juices should run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should register 165°F.
Check the internal temp of the meat with an instant-read thermometer.
Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into pieces, and serve it on a platter.
Moist & flavorful!
There’s just a hint of sweetness in this savory rhubarb dish! ~Linda
Roast Chicken with Rhubarb Butter (adapted from bonappetit.com) Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 large rhubarb stalk, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3-4 ounces)
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon finely grated, peeled ginger
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 3½ – 4 pound chicken, backbone removed, then patted dry
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Preparation:
Bring the rhubarb, orange juice, honey, and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook it, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is soft, about 5 minutes. Drain the rhubarb over a small bowl, reserving the cooking liquid and the rhubarb separately. Set it aside to cool.
Mix the rhubarb with 7 tablespoons of the butter in a small bowl until it is smooth. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Set aside the remaining tablespoon of butter for the outside of the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the skin of the chicken by sliding your fingers underneath it and rub the flesh all over with the rhubarb butter, being careful not to tear the skin.
Rub the remaining butter over the skin of the chicken, drizzle some of the reserved rhubarb cooking liquid over the bird, then sprinkle the thyme over the chicken and season it with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken until the skin is browned and crisp and the meat is cooked through, about 40−50 minutes. The juices should run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should register 165°F.
Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into pieces, and serve it on a platter.