Recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 2: Season the chicken all over, including the cavity, with the salt and pepper. Stuff the tangerine and sage deep into the cavity of the chicken.

Step 3: Move the stuffed bird, breast side up onto a large, empty surface where you will have plenty of space for maneuvering. Take a 30″ length of butcher’s twine and string it underneath the chicken. Pull both sides of the string up over the chicken’s wings. Cross the ends of the strings over each other and give them a yank, pulling the wings tight to the body. Do not slacken or let go of the twine.

Step 4: Now that you have tightly secured the wings, it is time to bind the body and legs. Pull the ends of the twine underneath the legs, crossing it underneath the bird, and wrap it around the legs, binding them together. Wrap twine several times to make sure the legs are tightly bound. Wrap the twine around the tail, pulling it tight to close up the cavity. Give the twine once last tug to make sure the bindings are secure, then knot the string. Trim any excess twine.

Step 5: Place the chicken breast side up on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Roast until the thigh juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife and the skin is crisp and golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes before cutting the twine off.

Reprinted with permission from FL Fowler’s Fifty Shades of Chicken (2012 Clarkson Potter).