I am writing to you from Italy, my beloved place in Tuscany – Arezzo – and I wanted to share this Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme recipe that I had made in NYC before I left. It is so very good, and easy, I’ll be sure to make this for my friends here too, after I figure out the oven in my new home. The controls are not making any sense to me and there is no instruction booklet. But I must figure it out before Tuesday night as I am having my first dinner party – 4 friends over to celebrate Tiziana’s birthday – and I do need to use the oven for a sheet pan chicken dish that I’ll share with you later, but for now, let’s focus on this Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme. This one is for Jeanne!!

The base recipe originally came from the New York Times, but of course I have changed it a little bit.

Probably like you, I am always looking for new and different, easy chicken recipes and this one fits the bill very nicely! There are a lot of pleasantly contrasting flavor profiles going on here, culminating in a fabulously flavored dish! You’ve got the spicy curry with the sweet honey, coupled with the tart and refreshing grapefruit juice. And do squeeze fresh grapefruit for the juice. Do not use a store bought variety as it is not the same.

It’s very important to baste frequently

Basting the bird frequently and roasting it at a lower temperature keeps the bird moist and prevents that sweet sauce, which is caramelizing, from scorching. And here I used my black cast iron skillet, which worked perfectly. Believe me, if you do the basting, this chicken will be supremely juicy!

I served this Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme with some farrow and lemon and EVOO roasted asparagus for a divine meal. The Simi California Chardonnay was a perfect pairing.

Make with LOVE. I hope you enjoy this!

CURRIED ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRAPEFRUIT, HONEY AND THYME

1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken
Fine sea salt and black pepper
⅓ cup grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed, strained of seeds
¼ cup honey
13/4 tsp. curry powder
1 heaping Tbs. finely chopped thyme

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry (inside and out) and season it well with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place the chicken breast-side up in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapefruit juice, honey, curry powder and thyme. Spoon all the mixture over the chicken, making sure it is evenly covered and inside of the cavity as well.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, spooning the sauce all over. After the first 30 minutes, turn the heat down to 325 degrees and continue basting the chicken with the pan juices until the skin is lacquered with sauce and the chicken registers 165 degrees with an instant thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, about 35 to 45 minutes more. If skin is starting to become too dark, tent with foil.

Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.