Ingredients
- 1 (4-5 pounds) whole chicken
- 2 medium fennel bulbs
- 3–4 ripe fresh peaches
- 6–8 cloves garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole fresh lemon
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- 0.75 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from refrigeration thirty minutes before roasting to bring it closer to room temperature for even cooking.
- Pat the chicken completely dry inside and outside using paper towels to promote crispy skin development.
- Tuck the wings underneath the body by folding the wing tips back toward the backbone.
- Halve the lemon and place both pieces into the chicken cavity along with four thyme sprigs and two rosemary sprigs.
- Tie the legs together loosely with kitchen twine to help the chicken cook evenly.
- Preheat your oven to four hundred twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit for the first phase of roasting.
- Trim the fennel bulbs by removing the tough outer layer and cutting each bulb into four wedges.
- Quarter the peaches by cutting them in half along their natural seams, leaving the skin on for visual appeal and added texture.
- Peel away the papery skin from the garlic cloves but leave them whole and unpeeled.
- Arrange the fennel wedges and unpeeled garlic cloves in a large roasting pan approximately thirteen by nine inches.
- Season the chicken inside and out with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, distributing seasoning evenly.
- Rub the chicken all over with three tablespoons of olive oil, ensuring the skin is thoroughly coated for crispness.
- Place the seasoned chicken breast-side up on top of the fennel and garlic in the roasting pan.
- Roast at four hundred twenty-five degrees for twenty-five minutes until the skin starts turning golden brown.
- Reduce the oven temperature to three hundred seventy-five degrees and add the peaches to the pan around the chicken.
- Drizzle the peaches with the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and scatter fresh herb sprigs around the pan.
- Continue roasting for an additional fifty minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of one hundred sixty-five degrees at the thickest part of the thigh.
- Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan during the last fifteen minutes of cooking to create pan juices.
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for ten minutes before serving.
Notes
Chef Tips: Allow your chicken to rest at room temperature for thirty minutes before roasting to ensure even cooking throughout the meat. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before applying oil; moisture on the skin creates steam instead of a crispy exterior. Use a meat thermometer to verify doneness at one hundred sixty-five degrees in the thickest part of the thigh without cutting into the meat. Arrange the peaches cut-side down initially, then flip them halfway through roasting to expose the skin to direct heat for even caramelization. Save the pan drippings by pouring them into a small saucepan, skimming excess fat, and serving them as a simple sauce. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven to ensure the bottom of the roasting pan receives sufficient heat for vegetable caramelization without burning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Sodium: 520 milligrams
- Fat: 18 grams
- Saturated Fat: 4 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 14 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 42 grams
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
