5-Spice Roasted Chicken with Pickled Cherry Sauce and Braised Endives

Is that a good-looking chicken or what? This is an easy and elegant meal you can make for your family for Sunday dinner. Pickle the cherries the day before and make the sauce, endives and some rice while the bird roasts to golden perfection.
Michael Symon originally pairs the cherries and endives with confited duck and, while I do want to make duck confit one day.. I didn't have the two days to prepare it and the month that it needs to cure in the fridge. Or the duck. Put it on the one-day list and bring out the chicken.
I covered this baby in a dry rub of Chinese 5-spice powder (thank you Joanne, you are a genius!), kosher salt and black pepper. Then I roasted it in my George Foreman Chicken Roaster for 75 minutes. I love that machine, perfect little chickens and no heating up the house. If you are roasting conventionally and need help with roasting times, click here for some guidelines. Rotisserie would also be nice. As would grilled chicken pieces. Whatever floats your boat.

Braised Endives with Citrus
for Michael Symon Sundays
Serves 4, adapted from Michael Symon's Live To Cook
online recipe sourced from Joanne of Eats Well with Others

1 tbsp olive oil
4 belgian endives, halved lengthwise
6 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Juice and zest of one orange
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 325. (I use a counter-top oven for small dishes like this)

2. Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Place the endive in the pan, cut side down. Season with salt and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat it for 1 minute. Add the thyme, orange zest and juice, stock, and honey. Bring to a simmer and then place the pan in the oven until the endive is cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove the endive from the pan to a platter. Reduce the pan liquid over high heat to about 1/3 cup, swirl in the butter, and spoon the liquid over the endive.

Pickled Cherries
Makes about 2 quarts, adapted from Live To Cook
online recipe sourced from Joane of Eats Well with Others

2 lb bing cherries
3 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 strips orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf

1. Prick each cherry with a fork several times and put them in a nonreactive jar or container.

2. Mix the vinegar, sugar, salt, orange zest, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, and bay leaf in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. Pour the liquid over the cherries. When the concoction is cool, seal or cover the cherries and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Pickled Cherry Sauce
adapted from Live to Cook

1 cup pickled cherries, strained, with 1 cup of their juice reserved
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp butter, in pieces

Combine cherries, juice and stock in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat and simmer to reduce by half. With liquid at a low simmer, whisk in the butter.

Don't forget to make stock out of the carcass! For little birds like this, I just throw the bones in a small slow cooker, add peppercorns and coarse sea salt and set on low while I sleep, dreaming of chicken. The next morning I strain and refrigerate. Easy peasy, Lemon Squeezy.
You just made stock in your sleep and recouped half the value of your bird!