You know the sticky ham glaze that everyone fights over? Put it on chicken instead! It's easier, cheaper, and I've had people tell me they prefer this to Christmas ham. If you're preparing my budget-friendly Christmas feast, the chicken can be roasted while the pork rests.

INGREDIENTS

• 2kg mix of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (large cutlets about 180g are ideal)
• extra oranges, sliced or cut into wedges, to serve

Marinade

• zest of 2 oranges (about 5 tsp)
• 125ml (½ cup) orange juice
• 60ml (¼ cup) cider vinegar
• 100g (½ cup) brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

METHOD

1. Whisk marinade ingredients in a jug until well combined and sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour into a large press-seal bag, add chicken then massage to distribute the marinade. Marinate for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
3. Line 2 large trays with foil then baking paper (you'll thank me later). Divide chicken and marinade between the two trays and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste with pan juices, then roast for a further 20 minutes, basting with pan juices 2 or 3 more times until the chicken is deep golden and sticky. At first, the juices will be watery but in the final 10 minutes or so, they will thicken and darken. Once this happens, baste well.
4. Remove the top tray when it's ready, then move the second tray up and cook for a further 10 minutes or as needed to make the chicken golden and sticky.
5. Before plating up, baste again with the sticky juices and decorate with orange slices or wedges. The meat will be super tender – we've practically slow cooked the chicken!

Serves 8

• This recipe features in RecipeTin Eats' $20-a-head Christmas feast