Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Fennel and Squash

by WholeFoodWendy
Prep: 15m
Cook: 1h 20m
poultry
Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Fennel and Squash - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:4
4lbwhole chicken
salt and pepper, to taste
1fresh thyme
1lemon
1fennel bulb
2sweet dumpling squash
1garlic bulb
2tbspolive oil
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

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Instructions
  1. 1

    Heat the oven

    Preheat the oven to 375F. A moderate oven gives the skin time to render and crisp while the meat stays juicy.

  1. 2

    Prep the bird

    Remove the giblets and any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse it, pat it very dry, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes so the skin dries out, which is the real secret to crisp skin.

  2. 3

    Season and stuff

    Set the chicken in a roasting pan. Season it generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck most of the thyme and the halved lemon into the cavity, keeping a few thyme sprigs aside. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body.

  3. 4

    Add the vegetables

    Slice the fennel bulb about 1/4 inch thick, seed and cut each squash into 8 wedges, and peel the garlic cloves. Scatter the fennel, squash, garlic, and reserved thyme around the chicken. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle everything with the olive oil.

  4. 5

    Roast

    Roast for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 180F and the squash is tender and caramelized at the edges.

  5. 6

    Rest and carve

    Pull the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving. Spoon the roasted fennel and squash alongside and pour over any pan juices.

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Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Fennel and Squash

Created by: WholeFoodWendy

Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 1h 20m
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 lb whole chicken
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 fresh thyme
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 2 sweet dumpling squash
  • 1 garlic bulb
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. Heat the ovenPreheat the oven to 375F. A moderate oven gives the skin time to render and crisp while the meat stays juicy.
  2. Prep the birdRemove the giblets and any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse it, pat it very dry, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes so the skin dries out, which is the real secret to crisp skin.
  3. Season and stuffSet the chicken in a roasting pan. Season it generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck most of the thyme and the halved lemon into the cavity, keeping a few thyme sprigs aside. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body.
  4. Add the vegetablesSlice the fennel bulb about 1/4 inch thick, seed and cut each squash into 8 wedges, and peel the garlic cloves. Scatter the fennel, squash, garlic, and reserved thyme around the chicken. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle everything with the olive oil.
  5. RoastRoast for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 180F and the squash is tender and caramelized at the edges.
  6. Rest and carvePull the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving. Spoon the roasted fennel and squash alongside and pour over any pan juices.

Notes & Tips

This is the kind of dinner that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible with almost no fuss. A good whole chicken, a bulb of fennel, some sweet fall squash, and a whole head of garlic going soft and jammy in the pan - real ingredients doing all the work. The fennel turns silky and a little sweet as it roasts, and the squash soaks up the chicken drippings. Don't skip drying the skin; those 20 minutes on the counter are the difference between crisp and rubbery. Full-fat, no shortcuts, nothing you can't pronounce.