Roast Chicken

Who doesn't love a good roast chicken? This is the ultimate in Sunday dinners. This recipe has a bit of an Italian feel with the inclusion of Fennel and Marsala Wine. If you've never tried either, I want to encourage you to do so. Fennel has this lovely sweet, mild anise flavor when roasted and compliments the chicken beautifully. Roasting a chicken on the bones does 2 things, it keeps the meat moist throughout the cooking process and it adds more flavor to the chicken.

Serves 4

Cook's note-Make sure your chicken is completely defrosted and that you have let it come to room temperature before you put it in the oven. This will allow it to cook faster. Make sure to season your chicken well, inside and out. Chicken is normally very bland and needs seasoning. This is where many people make their mistake with chicken. Do pour the melted butter over the chicken before seasoning. Do not use margarine. The milk solids in the butter will help the chicken to brown. If you use salted butter, cut back on the table salt to about 3 teaspoons. I use only Kosher salt or Sea salt. The flavor is less harsh than traditional table salt.

1 3 pound  whole chicken, inside parts removed and washed. (Whole chickens come with giblets, liver and neck inside body cavity.
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
4-5 shallots, peeled
1 fennel bulb, sliced
6-8 sprigs thyme
3-4 carrots, peeled
4 tablespoons butter, ,melted
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup marsala wine
2 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons corn starch


 In a large non-stick roasting pan place, into its center, a long piece of foil that you have waded into a tube and bent into a U shape. Put the onions, shallots,fennel and carrots into a large bowl. Gentle toss with the olive oil and a pinch of the salt. Put these in the pan around the foil U.  Take the chicken out of its bag. Remove the insides, and rinse under cold water inside and out. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels on the outside. Put a pinch of salt and pepper inside the chicken and place it on the foil U, breast side up.  Place half of the thyme into the chicken's cavity. Drizzle the butter over the entire chicken. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Remove thyme leaves from the sprigs and sprinkle over the chicken and veggies. Place chicken into a 400 degree oven for 1-1 1/2 hours until breast reaches 150 degrees internal temperature. Remove chicken from the pan to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook while resting; as much as another 10 degrees.Meanwhile, remove veggies from the pan and separate any juice left in the pan. Put the pan on the stove and deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the 2 cups stock and the separated drippings. Bring to a boil. Dissolve the corn starch in remaining 1/4 cup of stock and add to the boiling chicken broth stirring constantly. Continue to stir until  mixture thickens. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with mashed potatoes and favorite veggies.