A Springtime Feast

Written by Living the Gourmet, a trusted food and lifestyle site since 2008.

Nothing quite compares to orange and rosemary. It's a classic flavor combo and boasts of Spring. Now that the Rosemary bushes have 'awakened' there are so many dishes I hope to make.

I'm celebrating the season with this roast chicken first. It's a perfect meal.

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ACINI DE PEPE is a fabulous alternative to Arborio rice.

We had some acini leftover in the cabinet and I figured it would serve as a nice side dish to the chicken.

I found a few recipes online. Some called for mushrooms and peas, others even had bits of craisins in them. Unfortunately, I was out of all three ingredients. Time to improvise...

I opted for a fresh tomato and an apple. Savory with a subtle hint of sweetness. Then Mom thought to toss in some chunks of feta. Perfect. Savory, sweet and a little salty. All in all, I could not have asked for a better springtime dinner.

Rosemary Chicken & Apple & Feta Risotto

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Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 fresh whole chicken - 5-6 lbs.
2 sticks carrots - chopped
2 stalks celery - chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 orange
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
S&P to taste
2 cups water

Apple & Feta Risotto:

2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion - chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons parsley - chopped
1 apple - peeled, cored and chopped
1 small vine ripe tomato - chopped
2 cups acini de pepe
1/4 cup white wine
Feta cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large roasting pan, toss carrots and celery along with the chicken giblets.
In a small glass bowl, combine rosemary, olive oil, orange juice, garlic, oregano, salt & pepper. Whisk together and rub all over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity.
Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Pour about 2 cups of water into the roasting pan and place in the oven.
Bake until the chicken is golden and juices run clear, approximately 40 minutes.

Apple & Feta Risotto:

In a small saucepan bring chicken broth to a simmer.
In a cast iron pan, melt butter down. Saute onion until it turns clear.
Add cracked black pepper, garlic, and parsley. Toss. Add the apple and tomato.
Add acini de pepe. Slowly add the white wine and stir until the acini absorbs it.
Slowly ladle the chicken broth into the pan. Stir in between until the broth is absorbed.
Once the acini has absorbed all the broth and the texture turned slightly creamy, remove from heat.
Transfer to a serving dish and add crumbled feta. Give one final toss and serve.