At first, this dish was prepared from duck and with apples as a filling. But then the authors of this recipe - French Jews - moved to their historical homeland and modernized it in accordance with local realities. First, apples were replaced by oranges - after all, the famous orange orchards grew around Jaffa, and then duck - chicken.



You will need:


4 little chickens


4 oranges


4 tablespoons finely chopped herbs (parsley or cilantro)


4 garlic cloves


2 teaspoons dried coriander


2 tbsp. spoons of honey


salt pepper




For sauce:


½ can of canned apricots


2 tbsp. spoons of mustard


4 tbsp. spoons of apricot jam


1 st. a spoonful of lemon juice


½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice


1 teaspoon grated ginger


1 teaspoon lemon zest


3 art. tablespoons orange liqueur



























Duck continues to be used, but mostly on holidays - it is more expensive, and you will not find it in every supermarket. On ordinary days, chickens are used, and even better - chickens. With them, the dish turns out more tender, while oranges make the taste brighter.


In addition to oranges, parsley, celery, lemon and even carrots usually go into the filling, but this is optional - you can limit yourself to oranges alone. Along with the chicken, a fruit sauce is served on the table, which includes such a diverse set as mustard, ginger, lemon juice, liqueur and even canned apricots. But we, brought up on the good old goose with buckwheat porridge and apples, still need to get used to this sauce.




Cooking method


Grate the garlic on a fine grater, mix with salt, pepper, dried coriander and honey and brush the chickens inside and out with this mixture. Cut the oranges into circles and fill them with the greens of the chickens. To prevent the filling from falling out, pinch the hole with toothpicks.


Heat the oven to 220 degrees and put the chickens in it for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes - until cooked.


During this time, you can prepare the sauce. Combine the apricot compote, jam, mustard, and ginger in a food processor. Pour everything into a saucepan, add lemon and orange juice, lemon zest and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, pour in the orange liqueur and keep on fire for another minute. Serve the sauce separately. Enjoy your meal!



Anna Markova