Woodford Reserve Chicken a la Orange
Poultry
- 4
SERVES
Submitted by Ouita Michel
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, 1 per person (we use an airline cut, boneless with the skin on)
- Brine (this is an optional step)
- 1 C water
- ½ C Early Times Bourbon
- ¼ C brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Sauce
- 1 C orange juice concentrate
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ C Early Times bourbon
- ¼ C sorghum
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ C Woodford Reserve
- Salt to taste
- 3 Tbsp butter
- Caramelized Orange Slices
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ¼ C brown sugar
- ¼ C Woodford Reserve
Directions
Recipe by Chef in Residence, Ouita Michel, Holly Hill Inn, Midway
Combine the ingredients for the brine—this is an optional step—and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the chicken and let sit for about 1 hour. If you don’t have time to brine your chicken, start the recipe at Step 2.
Dry the chicken.
Combine the orange juice concentrate, all the spices, Early Times, sorghum and soy sauce in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. You can make this sauce ahead and reserve.
Heat 1 tbsp. of butter in a heavy bottomed sauté pan, sauté the breasts skin side down until golden. Flip the breasts, cook for 3 minutes.
Add the orange sauce to your sauce pan, bring to a simmer and put into a 350-37° oven for about 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
Remove the breasts from the pan and hold in a warm place while you finish the sauce. Add the Woodford Reserve to the sauce, bring to a simmer and simmer until lightly thickened. Check the salt, add to taste. Swirl in the last of the butter and serve the sauce over the chicken.
Caramel Orange Slices
We garnish our Orange Chicken with a caramelized orange slice.
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauté pan. Add the orange slices and brown them in the butter for about 5 minutes.
Add the Woodford Reserve and the brown sugar and simmer until the slices are tender and gooey. Plan on 1-2 slices per breast of chicken.
