Chicken roasted with apples and fennel, a perfect fall pairing, is both weeknight simple and dinner-party worthy.
Seasoned with rosemary, thyme and sage and drizzled with olive oil, the chicken turns tantalizingly crisp while the rendered fat bastes the onions, apples and fennel until they’re meltingly tender.
You want a good sharp apple, such as Haralson, to cut through the richness of the dark meat; the acidity also gives the dish a lift. The caramel notes of the crisped chicken skin echo that of the roasting apples. Do include the fennel. While some folks are put off by raw fennel’s pushy licorice taste, the flavors mellow as its edges soften and become slightly sweet and lush. Together, the apples and fennel become a nutty duo, more than the sum of their parts.
Fennel is more versatile and easier to work with than celery, its tough, stringy cousin. Fennel is also hardy enough to prepare in advance. Remove and discard the hard end of the bulb, then slice or chop it up and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Save the stalks for soup and the fronds for garnish. This cool-weather crop is now at its peak, as are our local apples. When at the farmers market, taste the apple samples and choose your favorites. Both are fabulous, raw and cooked.
This roast chicken, apple and fennel recipe is easily doubled for built-in leftovers, which can become the foundation for lunches and simple dinners. Toss the chicken into a salad; simmer the cooked veggies together in a stock for soup, or tangle with pasta and top with sharp cheese.
Try the apple-fennel slaw to serve alongside; it will last a few days in the refrigerator, too. Take a little extra time on Sunday and make it easy in the kitchen through the week.
Roast Chicken With Fennel and Apples
Serves 4 to 6.
Chicken thighs are roasted with tart apples and fennel for a quick full-on autumn dinner. Sharp bright apples amplify the mellow anise notes of fennel to give the rich thighs a lift. Serve with a crisp apple-fennel slaw on the side. From Beth Dooley.
