Roasted Citrus Chicken with Braised Fennel & Shallot

A beautifully roasted whole chicken infused with bright blood orange and aromatic herbs, served over tender braised fennel and shallots. This stunning dish balances savory and citrus notes for a show-stopping dinner centerpiece.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

8 servings

Ingredients

Marinade

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 tablespoon coriander seed

10 fresh sage leaves

2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 blood oranges, zested (2 tablespoons) and sliced

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Chicken

1 fennel bulb, fronds removed; bulb cut into lengthwise slices

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

¾ cup vegetable stock, plus additional if needed

1 (4- to 5-pound) young whole chicken

2 navel oranges, cut into wedges; divided

2 sprigs fresh sage, plus additional for garnish

2 sprigs fresh tarragon

2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus additional for garnish

Directions

For marinade, in a food processor, place brown sugar, salt, fennel seed, coriander seed, sage leaves, and tarragon and thyme leaves. Cover and process until very finely ground. Transfer mixture to a small bowl; stir in olive oil, mustard, and blood orange zest; set aside.
For chicken, spray a large shallow roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place blood orange, fennel, and shallot slices in bottom of prepared pan; add ¾ cup vegetable stock. If necessary, add enough additional stock to just cover the blood orange and fennel slices in pan.
Remove giblets from chicken; discard giblets or reserve for another use. Pat chicken cavity and skin dry with paper towels. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string; twist wing tips under back. Place chicken, breast side up, in prepared roasting pan. Loosely stuff enough orange wedges from 1 orange to fill inside chicken cavity. Rub marinade over skin of chicken. Cover roasting pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or up to overnight.
Remove chicken from refrigerator; remove plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 425°F.
Roast chicken for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F; remove foil. Roast for 50 to 55 minutes more or
until internal temperature reaches 170°F in thickest part of thigh away from bone. Remove from oven and loosely cover roasting pan with foil; let rest for 10 minutes.
To serve, transfer chicken to a large serving platter. Garnish with additional sage, thyme, and remaining navel orange wedges, if desired. Serve chicken with pan juices, and braised fennel and shallot, if desired. Discard blood orange slices in roasting pan.