Roast Chicken with Orange, Fennel, and Sumac

Looking for a perfect Sunday supper? Skip your same-old roast chicken recipe in favor of this surprising dish. A savory orange marinade seals in the juices for a perfectly moist chicken.

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Orange Fennel Sumac Chicken
4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick), skin-on, bone-in
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds
1 tablespoon sumac
Zest and juice of 2 large oranges
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 bulbs fennel
1 small orange, sliced

Orange-Anise Glaze
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup raw honey
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Sumac and Maldon salt for garnishing

In a large bowl, mix the chicken legs with the onions, olive oil, fennel seeds, sumac, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a roasting tray along with sliced fennel. Arrange chicken pieces skin-side up, place orange slices on top, then bake until skin is golden, 35 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting, place the orange juice, red wine vinegar, honey, and star anise, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir, and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 30 minutes, until reduced.

Remove the chicken from the oven, spoon a generous amount of orange-anise glaze on to each piece. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and sprinkle on additional sumac and Maldon salt.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont