Roasted Chicken with Clementines & Arak

by Ottolenghi

An Ottolenghi favourite, this roasted chicken dish combines intense flavours resulting in a sweetly comforting dish.

Roasted Chicken with Clementines & Arak

  • Servings:

The Roasted Chicken with Clementines & Arak is a favorite recipe from Ottolenghi. The chicken is lavished with intense flavors—arak, mustard, fennel, clementines with their skins, and brown sugar—that come together to create a sweetly comforting dish. This dish is perfect for those who enjoy a meal that is both comforting and full of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoons arak, ouzo, or Pernod` (a scant 1/2 cup)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons grain mustard
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs (about 1.1 lb total), trimmed
  • 1 large organic or free-range chicken, about 3 lb, divided into 8 pieces
    (or the same weight in chicken thighs with skin on and bone-in)
  • 4 clementines, unpeeled (about 14 oz total), sliced horizontally into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

  • Put the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.
  • Trim the fennel and cut each bulb in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the liquids, along with the chicken pieces, clementine slices, thyme, and fennel seeds. Mix well with your hands, then leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight (this step can be skipped if short on time).
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, arranging everything in a single layer with the chicken skin-side up. Roast for 35–45 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven.
  • Lift the chicken, fennel, and clementines onto a serving platter and keep warm. Pour the cooking juices into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by about one-third (to roughly 1/3 cup). Spoon the hot sauce over the chicken, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve.

  • Serve with plainly cooked rice or bulgur.
  • If pressed for time, the marinating step can be skipped.