Roast Chicken Stuffed With Fennel And Garlic

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 large fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, each cut into 8 wedges
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in resealable plastic bag
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 (3 lb) roasting chickens
• 2 lemons, halved
• 1 cup vernaccia di san gimignano wine or 1 cup other dry wine
• 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

Recipe

• 1 cook fennel in large pot of boiling salted water until tender when pierced with knife, about 8 minutes. drain.
• 2 transfer to bowl. mix in 2 tablespoons oil; garlic; 1 tablespoon each fennel seeds, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and marjoram; then 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• 3 preheat oven to 450°f mix remaining 1 tablespoon each fennel seeds and herbs in small bowl.
• 4 rinse chickens inside and out; pat dry.
• 5 rub chickens inside and out with lemon halves, squeezing some of juice into cavities. rub outside of chickens with 1/4 cup oil, then fennel seed mixture. sprinkle chickens generously with salt and pepper.
• 6 stuff chickens with leftover lemon halves. tie legs together. place chickens, breast side down, in large roasting pan. arrange fresh fennel mixture around chickens.
• 7 roast chickens 30 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices. combine wine and broth and pour over chickens. roast 15 minutes. turn chickens breast side up.
• 8 roast chickens until juices run clear when pierced with fork in thickest part of thigh, about 40 minutes longer. transfer chickens and fennel mixture to platter. pour pan juices into bowl; skim off fat. pour juices over chickens and serve.