Substitute any root vegetables you like for the potatoes in this recipe. Sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips are fine choices. You also could skip the vegetables entirely and serve the chicken over egg noodles tossed with the pan sauce made at the end of this recipe.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, orange zest, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, the garlic powder, cardamom and pepper. Set aside.
In a 9-by-9-inch metal roasting or baking pan, toss the potatoes with the remaining tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Arrange the potatoes in an even layer.
Use a pastry brush to coat the chicken thighs with the honey mixture under and over the skin. Arrange the chicken pieces over the potatoes.
Cover with foil and roast for 35 minutes. Uncover and roast for another 15 minutes. Transfer the meat and potatoes to a plate, cover with foil and set aside.
Set the roasting pan over a stovetop burner on medium-high heat. Bring the liquid in the pan to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Serve the chicken and potatoes drizzled with the pan sauce.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 655 calories; 297 calories from fat (45 percent of total calories); 33 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 143 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 2 g fiber; 199 mg sodium.
___
J.M. Hirsch is the national food editor for The Associated Press. He is author of the recent cookbook, “High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking.” His Off the Beaten Aisle column also appears at FoodNetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/JM_Hirsch.
