Roast Chicken Parts with Fennel, Celery, or Carrots
Instructions:
Fennel and other crunchy vegetables, like celery and carrots,
are delicious when cooked to full tenderness and
make a good base for roast chicken parts. (You can even
use parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, or kohlrabi.) This dish
has an elegant look. Sprinkle with lightly chopped fennel
fronds instead of parsley if you like.
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
About 11/2 pounds vegetables: 2 or 3 bulbs fennel,
trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices; 2 bunches
celery, trimmed and roughly chopped; carrots,
trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins; or a
combination
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
and cut into 8 pieces, or any combination of parts
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Lemon wedges for serving
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 40 minutes
- Heat the oven to 450 F. Drizzle the bottom of a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel or other vegetable, allowing the pieces to overlap if necessary but using the whole sheet. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes.
- Top the fennel with the chicken parts, sprinkled with salt and pepper, all skin side up. Ideally, you’ll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but don’t go nuts over it. Spoon some of the olive oil from the bottom of the pan over the chicken.
- Roast for about 15 minutes, then baste the chicken with the pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust the oven temperature so the chicken browns but does not burn.
- The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with a portion of the fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with the parsley and with a lemon wedge.