Lunch: Roasted Chicken with Star Anise Sauce, Ginger Carrots and Snap Peas

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 orange, halved
6 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, halved
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Clean the chicken and sprinkle the entire bird, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Stuff the bird with the oranges, garlic, onions, celery, rosemary and thyme. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. If the chicken is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 375 degrees F and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven, tent with foil and let rest 30 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, work on the garnishes.
For the snow peas and carrots: Fill a large pot with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by placing ice cubes and water in a bowl. Set aside. Dump the snap peas into the boiling water and cook until al dente. Be sure to test the peas as they are cooking to prevent them from overcooking. Use a slotted spoon to remove the snow peas from the water and plunge into the ice bath. Remove from the ice when cool and reserve until service.
Put the carrots, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons butter and brown sugar in a saute pan and add water until the carrots are barely covered. The carrots should be in a single layer. Put on high heat and cook until all the water is nearly evaporated. Cover and set aside for service.
For the star anise sauce: Combine the stock, soy sauce, anise seeds, honey, vinegar, sesame oil and thyme and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Once the chicken has rested, carve the bird by removing the legs from the thighs and slicing the breasts in half. Pour any juices that have collected in the pan into the sauce and hold warm over low heat.
To finish the snap peas, heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Once it is bubbly, add the garlic and snap peas. Season with salt and pepper. To finish the carrots, gently reheat over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to moisten.
Once everything is hot, serve a piece of white and dark meat garnished with the carrots, snap peas and drizzled with the sauce.
This recipe was created by a contestant during a cooking competition. The Food Network Kitchens have not tested it for home use, therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.