A walk-away roast chicken can’t get much easier, so with the set-it-and-forget-it method in mind, we used the spice cabinet to simplify the shopping, too. We doubled the volume of seasonings — citrusy coriander and lemon zest along with fennel seeds — so the chicken would be fully coated with flavor. Roasting at a moderately high temperature ensured fully rendered fat and slightly crispy skin. Roasting the chicken directly in a skillet also gave us a chance to catch any seasoned drippings beneath. After a quick skim off the top to remove excess fat, the drippings were easily turned into a pan sauce to pour over the carved bird.
Note: We developed this recipe in a stainless-steel skillet, but a 12-inch cast-iron skillet will also work. If using table salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.
Spice-Roasted Chicken with Fennel, Coriander and Lemon
Coated in flavor.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 (3 ½-4-lb) whole chicken, giblets discarded
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Combine fennel seeds, coriander, lemon zest, salt, granulated garlic and pepper in a bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer chicken, breast side down, to 12-inch oven-safe skillet and rub exposed side with 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle with half of the spice mixture. Flip chicken breast side up and rub exposed side with remaining 1 Tbsp oil and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture.
- Transfer skillet to oven and roast until breast registers 160°F and drumsticks/thighs register 175°F, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Reserve drippings in skillet.
- While the chicken rests, dissolve cornstarch in water. Carefully skim as much fat as possible from drippings and discard. Add cornstarch mixture to drippings and place over medium-high heat, whisking to scrape up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is boiling and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in lemon juice. (this step can be omitted if you don’t use cornstarch on Passover).
- Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.
Notes
We developed this recipe in a stainless-steel skillet, but a 12-inch cast-iron skillet will also work. If using table salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
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I wonder if this recipe could be adapted for use on a vertical roaster.
I think I will grind the seeds, I don’t see how a few tbsp of seeds will form a spice crust. I will comment after cooking.