Servings: 4 to 6 Servings
Preheat: 425
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: New York Times
Chicken thighs are roasted with classic fall ingredients for a quick, flavorful sheet-pan supper. The toasted fennel seeds subtly amplify the anise flavor of the roasted fennel and play nicely with the apples and onions. Look for an apple on the tart side as it will naturally sweeten as it cooks in the oven. If you want to use bone-in chicken breasts you can, just make sure to cut the cooking time by a few minutes so they don’t dry out. Serve with a bright, bitter green salad flecked with blue cheese and toasted walnuts.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
1 medium fennel bulb, tough outer leaves removed, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tart apple, such as Mutsu (Crispin) or Granny Smith, halved, cored and cut into 8 wedges
4 sprigs rosemary
Flaky salt, for serving
Directions:
Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pound into a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or, alternatively, roughly chop. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the fennel seeds and season well with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Place the onion, fennel and apple slices on the sheet pan. Toss with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt. Spread in an even layer. Add the chicken skin side up on top of the vegetables and lay the rosemary (distributing evenly) on top of the chicken. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the onions, fennel and apples are softened and have begun to caramelize at the edge of the pan.
Step 3
Turn the oven to broil and move the oven rack to sit right below it. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs and broil the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes until the skin of the chicken is crispy and golden. Season with flaky salt.