No surprise that I have turned to cooking at this particular moment. Cooking is calming for me, makes the house smell good and, of course, supplies Ray and me with some tasty meals.

I especially like this recipe because of the inclusion of orange slices slipped under the chicken skin. Hard to beat that flavor.

Here’s to comfort food.

Pan Roasted Chicken & Oranges

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar)
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder

4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 thighs and 6 drumsticks)
1 medium orange, cut into very thin slices
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees F and arrange rack in middle.

In a large bowl, mix together marinade. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat well. Slip 1 piece of orange under skin of each piece. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a cast iron skillet or large frying pan over medium-high heat until butter foams. Working in batches, add 3 or 4 chicken pieces (don’t overcrowd the pan) and brown on both sides until skin is crisp and golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch. As chicken is finished, place in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

Once all chicken has browned, place in oven to roast until juices run clear when pricked with a knife and meat registers 160 to 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.