There’s truly no better pairing than citrus and poultry. A squeeze of fresh juice or a pinch of zest gives the protein a brightness that elevates its flavor effortlessly. Lemon is the usual suspect for flavoring roast poultry, but there is an abundance of citrus choices that take the meat to another level. To enhance your poultry with a bold flavor, roast it with clementines.
A part of the orange family, clementines are a hybrid of mandarin and sweet oranges. Their seedless flesh and thin, peelable skin make them a great snack or lunch box staple, but the fruits can do so much more. Being an orange, clementines are on the sweeter side of the citrus spectrum and within their own family, as well. They lack that subtle, mouth-puckering quality that standard oranges have, instead leaning fully into the honeyed trait associated with oranges. Their lack of acidity is perfect for making roast chicken, duck, or turkey that features an unmitigated citrus flavor without a sour edge.
Clementine’s zest is also on the sweeter side; the peel does have a slight zing to it, but none of the bitterness that other citrus’ exteriors tend to have. Both juice and zest can easily be used to flavor roast poultry — add them to a bowl with olive oil, herbs, and spices. Marinate the poultry in the mix for at least an hour before roasting. Then, in the last 10 minutes, add sliced clementines and rosemary sprigs to the baking sheet.
Try these flavorful ways to serve up roasted poultry and clementines
The lack of acidity in clementines makes them a great citrus choice for poultry, but you’ll need to remember that its honeyed flavor benefits from being balanced out by earthier ingredients. When marinating your poultry, pair the citrus with bay leaves, thyme, and sage for a more grounded effect. These woodsy herbs are delicious with clementine roasted chicken, as is a medley of herbed roasted root vegetables. Along with the rosemary and thyme, bring a spiced edge to the veggies with cumin, cloves, and anise.
For a gamier piece of meat like duck, you can temper its robust taste by pairing the clementine with even more fruits. Crispy roasted duck features roasted pears and figs that are stuffed into the poultry, giving it a rich, sweet flavor from the inside out. To give the skin a caramelized effect, the duck is basted with a lemon-honey-thyme glaze, though the former ingredient can easily be swapped for clementines. When making the glaze, use plenty of the fruit’s zest to give it a slight acidity.
Switching out the citrus you use also works well when making roasted grapefruit chicken thighs. Clementines bring the same bright, sticky flavor that grapefruits deliver, but without the bitterness or astringent taste. You can stick with the sprigs of thyme that are in the original recipe or add it with additional herbs like sage and parsley.
