CAST-IRON ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL AND CARROTS
The only nonnegotiables for roast chicken recipes are a) being generous with the kosher salt inside and out and b) letting the chicken sit out for at least an hour, which gives the seasoning time to work its way deep into the meat, meaning every bite is delicious through and through.
Provided by Chris Morocco
Categories Bon Appétit Chicken Roast Cast Iron Fall Winter Dinner Fennel Wheat/Gluten-Free
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt, inside and out. (We use 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1/2 tsp. Morton kosher salt per lb.) Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Let sit 1 hour to allow salt to penetrate, or chill, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead.
- Place a rack in upper third of oven and set a 12" cast-iron skillet or 3-qt. enameled cast-iron baking dish on rack. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Meanwhile, toss fennel, carrots, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.
- Once oven reaches temperature, pat chicken dry with paper towels and lightly coat with half of remaining oil. Drizzle remaining oil into hot skillet (this helps keep the chicken from sticking and tearing the skin). Place chicken in the center of skillet and arrange vegetables around. Roast until fennel and carrots are golden brown in spots and tender an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 155°F, 50-60 minutes (temperature will climb to 165°F as chicken rests). Let chicken rest in skillet at least 20 minutes and up to 45 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and carve. Serve with vegetables.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL
The kind of fennel we see in supermarkets (which, almost needless to say, is cultivated, not wild) is wonderful when cooked to full tenderness, so I thought it might make a good base for chicken, which is heavier than fish and takes longer to cook. The idea was that the fennel would lend its flavor to the chicken, the chicken would lend its juices to the fennel and the creation would need little else. The results were better than expected. Garnished with parsley and served with a bit of lemon (especially when caramelized, fennel can be quite sweet), the dish has an elegant look and delicious, surprisingly complex flavor.
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories dinner, weekday, main course
Time 40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle bottom of shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel. Overlap pieces if necessary but use whole pan. Drizzle remaining oil over fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up chicken if necessary and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
- Top fennel with the chicken parts, skin side up. Ideally, you'll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but it's fine if some of the fennel roasts uncovered. Spoon some of the oil from bottom of pan over chicken. If there is not enough, drizzle additional olive oil over the chicken. Roast about 15 minutes, then baste chicken with pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust oven temperature so chicken browns but does not burn.
- The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with some fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 693, UnsaturatedFat 37 grams, Carbohydrate 9 grams, Fat 53 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 44 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 855 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
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