Pomegranate Chicken

Roasted Pomegranate Flattened Chicken:

1 Chicken
Water
4 Tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 garlic bulb (with peel, slice horizontally)
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp black pepper corns

Garnish:
Pomegranate seeds
Toasted slivered almonds (Toast in a dry pan on medium high moving around as needed so they don't burn, as soon as they turn golden remove and place on a cool flat plate then set aside)

Add all above ingredients to a pot (something that your chicken will fit in and this vessel fits in your fridge)
Mix until salt dissolves, add chicken to the "Brine" and let it soak in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days.

Pomegranate marinade:  Blend the following...

1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
Pomegranate juice (pom, or slice a pomegranate in half horizontally and squeeze it like a lemon until you get about 1/4 cup of juice  - you can substitute with orange juice)
Splash Worcestershire sauce
Salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp jam (I used mixed berries - 4 berry)

When ready to roast remove chicken from fridge 2 hours in advance, remove from brine and add to roasting pan allowing it to come to room temperature on the counter.  Let it sit breast down and pour the marinade into the bottom of the pan.

Preheat over to 425 F

 I also flattened the chicken by cutting out the spine with a shark scissors. At this point remove from marinade and place on a pan (I lined it with foil for easy clean-up  or casserole. Dot the top of the chicken with about 1 tbsp butter (you can place it under the skin if you wish)

Roast for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 400 and continue to roast, you could use convection if you have that setting or convection roast which is what I used.

If you'd like to baste your chicken with a thicker marinade/glaze you can mix up some pom molasses, pom juice and salt until it's the consistency of a glaze and brush it over the top of the chicken.

When your chicken is done remove and sprinkle with fresh pomegranate seeds and slivered toasted almonds.

Enjoy!