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Step 1
1 Thoroughly pat the chicken or turkey breast dry with paper towels
Step 2
2 Stir together the salt and pepper in a small bowl, then rub the seasoning all over the chicken, and inside the cavity
Step 3
3 Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours
Step 4
4 This will allow the seasoning to penetrate the meat and yield a flavorful bird, as well as make it possible for the glaze to stay put on the skin
Step 5
5 Before cooking, let the bird sit at room temperature for 1 hour, to ensure even cooking
Step 6
6 When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Step 7
7 Heat a small, dry skillet over medium heat
Step 8
8 Toast the saffron, shaking the pan a few times, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes
Step 9
9 Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the saffron to a small bowl, and let cool
Step 10
10 Using a mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a soup spoon), grind the saffron into coarse powder
Step 11
11 Combine the pomegranate molasses, honey, garlic, tangerine zest and juice, cumin and the saffron powder in a small bowl
Step 12
12 Using your hands, or a pastry brush, apply the mixture all over the chicken, as well as inside the cavity
Step 13
13 You will have extra glaze left over; reserve
Step 14
14 Brush a thin slick of oil on the bottom of a heavy large skillet (preferably cast iron), add the chicken and transfer to the oven
Step 15
15 About 30 minutes into roasting, brush some of the extra glaze all over the bird, and repeat every 10 minutes
Step 16
16 (It will also give you a good opportunity to make sure the glaze isn’t burning too much
Step 17
17 The pomegranate-honey mixture can go from beautifully burnished to burned very quickly
Step 18
18 )
Step 19
19 Roast for 50 to 70 minutes; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (away from the bone) should register 165 degrees
Step 20
20 The bird should be lacquered and a glossy burgundy-brown
Step 21
21 Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes before carving