Celebrate The Holidays With The Highbush Cranberry

Do you want to wow your visit with a delicious recipe? Stir in the highbush cranberry.

A little-known ingredient, but very rich in antioxidants, highbush cranberry makes it possible to enhance with class a conventional meal that is prepared every year. Indeed, highbush cranberry is an excellent substitute for the classic cranberry for your festive recipes. They bring a little tangy and aromatic side to your dishes. Plus, it’s a versatile ingredient, as the highbush cranberry mixes well with chicken/turkey or for sweet recipes like pies. We decided to try it in a little chicken recipe to prove that it is possible to incorporate ingredients from Quebec everywhere!

INGREDIENTS FOR HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY CHICKEN

For the chicken:

• 1 nice large chicken (about 3.5 kg or 8 lb)
• A tablespoon of old-fashioned mustard
• Two tablespoons of softened butter
• Pepper (to taste)
• Can also be replaced with green alder for an even more intense taste
• Fine salt (1 1/2 teaspoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
• Two tablespoons of highbush cranberry (or more if you like tangy ingredients).
• Sprigs of rosemary on top to decorate and add flavor
• Lots of cut potatoes
• Coarsely chopped onions
• Some celery
• A large handful of carrot

* For vegetables, add to taste. So if you like carrots a lot, you can add more.

For the sauce:

• A chopped French shallot
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 3 tablespoons of cognac (can be replaced with brandy or dark rum)
• Dijon mustard (2 teaspoons)
• 4 cups of chicken broth

HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY CHICKEN PREPARATION

For the chicken:

1.  Combine salt and spices (including the highbush cranberry) in a bowl. Crush the coriander and fennel seeds in a mortar or coffee grinder if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.
2.  Sprinkle the spice blend over the chicken with more emphasis on the chicken thighs and breast. Place the chicken in a baking dish.
3.  Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4.  Preheat the crazy to 200 ° C or 400 ° F and place the rack in the center of the oven.
5.  Mix the butter and the mustard in a bowl.
6.  Sponge the skin of the chicken with paper towels and massage the chicken with the butter mixture. Add the sprigs of rosemary on top and the vegetables around the poultry in the baking dish.
7.   Bake the chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes, always at 200 ° C (400 ° F).
8.   When the 30 minutes have passed, reduce the heat of the oven to 180 ° C (350 ° F) and continue cooking for about 1h15. Use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the thigh (without touching the bone) reads 82 ° C (180 ° F). When this temperature is reached, remove the chicken from the oven.

For the sauce:

9.  Meanwhile, soften the shallot and garlic in the butter in a saucepan. Then add the flour and continue stirring for about 2 minutes (until the mixture begins to brown).
10.  Deglaze with the cognac and add the mustard and the broth. Then bring everything to a boil.
11.   Simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half.
12.   Finally, taste this wonderful local spice in an unusual context!

The Highbush Cranberry For a Surprising Result

So, if you want juicy, tender chicken on top of not being too crispy, this recipe is just what you need. With highbush cranberries, your meal will be a success every time with tasty poultry! Your guests will be delighted and will want some to bring back home.

Enjoy your meal!

Click here to try it!