Best Roast Chickens With Plums Recipes

Perfect Roast Chicken image

Provided by Ina Garten

Categories main-dish

Time 2h10m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Sheet-Pan Chicken With Roasted Plums and Onions image

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 3h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Large pinch red-pepper flakes, or to taste
1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into parts
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups ripe, soft plums, pitted and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices
6 fresh thyme sprigs
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced from root to stem in 1/2-inch wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2/3 cup torn mint, basil or cilantro leaves (or a combination)
Flaky sea salt, for serving

Steps:

Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour seeds into a mortar and pound with a pestle until coarsely crushed (or lay seeds on a cutting board and pound them with a can or jar).
Put the seeds into a large bowl and stir in lemon juice, zest, garlic, honey, allspice and red-pepper flakes.
Season chicken generously all over with salt and pepper and add to the bowl, turning the pieces to coat them with marinade. Mix in plums and thyme sprigs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the chicken pieces, plums, and thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking pan. Add onions, spreading them out around the chicken and plums. Season plums and onions lightly with salt. Drizzle everything with olive oil.
Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes, removing the white meat if it's done before the dark meat.
Transfer chicken pieces as they are done to a platter. Spoon the plums and onions around the chicken. Drizzle a little of the pan drippings over the chicken and serve, garnished with the herbs and flaky salt.