Mandarin Orange and Five Spice Roast Chicken

With the help of a little child labor, I am beginning to navigate the kitchen from my rented wheelchair which will be with me for a couple of months yet after a major ankle surgery several weeks back. Thanks to all who have sent well wishes for a quick and successful recovery. I'm slowed down but not stopped! ;)
The kids and I managed a roast chicken dinner with some different flavour accents to give a little new life to a staple meal with minimal extra effort. The English Style Roast Potatoes with Roasted Garlic is probably my favorite way to prepare potatoes and is very popular with my kids as well. The garlic cloves roasted in their skins along with the potatoes slip easily out of their little jackets when cooked and are the perfect accompaniment to these spuds.

(pictured with English Style Roast Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, Apricot Apple Relish, Brown Sugar and Orange Glazed Carrots and Double Reduced Gravy)

3 pound whole chicken
2 large cloves garlic sliced
2 mandarin oranges sliced (or clementines) ( reserve the ends of the fruit to stuff in the cavity of the bird)
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Trim excess fat and skin from a 3 pound chicken. Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Season the cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with a few slices of garlic and the ends of the oranges that were previously sliced.
Using your fingers gently loosen and separate the skin from the breast and leg meat of the chicken being careful not to rip the skin. Insert garlic slices and sliced mandarins between the skin and the meat of the chicken. Truss the chicken with butcher string, tying the legs together and holding the wing tips to the breast of the bird.
Rub the olive oil over the entire surface of the chicken. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and Chinese 5 Spice on the chicken and rub it all over the exterior of the bird.
Open roast on a wire rack in an UNCOVERED roasting pan for about 20-25 minutes per pound or until the thickest part of the breast and thigh registers 185 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
Goes very well with Apricot Apple Relish.