| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- One 3-pound chicken, spatchcocked or cut into 8 pieces
- 3 Roma tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 2 fennel bulbs, cut into 8 wedges each
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, thyme and lemon zest. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with all but 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture. Place the chicken skin-side up in a large (5-quart) braiser or cast-iron skillet. Nestle the tomato halves and fennel wedges around the chicken; season the vegetables with the remaining salt mixture. Drizzle the chicken and vegetables with the olive oil.
- Cover the pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and return to the oven for about another 20 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees F. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Serve the chicken alongside the vegetables, drizzled with pan juices and sprinkled with the basil.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 632 |
| Total Fat | 45 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 45 g |
| Cholesterol | 173 mg |
| Sodium | 931 mg |
Reviews
Delicious recipe and I will definitely be adding it to our dinner rotation. Knocked off one star because I had to cook it about 25 minutes longer than the direction stated to get the chicken to a safe eating temperature. The skin came out crispy and the flavor was superb.
Love this recipe. 10 min of prep and one pot, perfect for a weeknight or an easy weekend meal. Husband approved as well!
Very easy to make a whole chicken this way. No basting, not much waiting. I loved that. However, the seasoning was only on the top and too little for my taste, so the meat was bland. I used leeks instead of fennel (fennel is mostly out of season), but they worked well. I also added carrots the last 20 minutes and they were fantastic with the tomatoes & leeks.