Orange Cilantro Roasted Chicken

What’s your biggest dinnertime battle? For many moms it’s finding that one dish that will please everyone. No matter what size your family is, it really only takes one or two picky eaters to make you feel like you have to prepare a restaurant menu’s worth of dishes in order to keep everyone happy and fed.

As a private chef, I often deal with this issue on a large scale, regularly cooking for groups of 20 or 30 guests, many of whom have specific dietary restrictions and preferences. It can sometimes feel overwhelming—how do you feed everyone at once when nobody eats the same thing?

My solution is to look for the common denominator; those one or two dishes that almost everyone at the table can eat. Once you have that set (and know that nobody will go hungry!) you can relax and build out the menu with the addition of simple sides, salads and sauces so your family members can each personalize their own plates.

One of my favorite please-all recipes was actually inspired by the gorgeous Salma Hayek. She did an interview with a UK magazine where she mentioned that she loves to cook for her family and actually does so most nights. But with a rotating cast of extended relatives, kids (she has one daughter and three stepchildren from her husband’s previous marriage), and neighborhood friends joining in for dinner, she often struggles with that same issue of trying to find one dish to satisfy all. Over the years she’s learned that there is one recipe that's guaranteed to please everyone—her roast chicken marinated with a mix of citrus juices and cilantro—and so that’s what she unashamedly resorts to again and again.

I liked Salma’s approach to this common dilemma. Once you find something that works, stick with it! There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Roast chicken is a classic that never fails to satisfy, pairs easily with just about everything, and can be dressed up or down to suit every occasion, from casual weeknight dinners to holiday meals. Even better? The chicken offers plenty of choices for the picky eaters (White or dark meat? Skin or none? Who wants a drumstick?), and the leftovers will take care of kids' school lunches for a couple days, checking off yet another thing from that endless to-do list.

I created this recipe based on the one Salma makes, with an easy marinade of tart citrus juices and fresh cilantro. It begins with a quick blitz of ingredients in the blender and an easy 90 minutes where the oven does all the work. Add a couple simple sides and congratulations, because your work here is done.

(Well…at least for tonight!)

Orange Cilantro Roasted Chicken

• 1 whole chicken (about 5-7 lbs)
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 navel orange, cut into quarters
• 1 lemon cut into slices

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