Sticky Orange Roast Chicken with Fennel and Onions

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Roasting Time: 2 1/2 - 3 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1, 3-5 pound roast chicken
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fennel bulbs thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic
• zest from one orange
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 orange, quartered, and then halved
• 1 medium onion, quartered (to stuff into the cavity)
• 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds

Sticky Marmalade Glaze

• 1 cup plus 1 tbsp chicken stock
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Directions 

1. Drizzle the olive oil into a roasting pan and then toss in the sliced fennel, and sliced onion.
2. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, 1 tsp herbes de provence, the orange zest, and the 5 garlic cloves. Toss well.
3. Mix together a seasoning blend with the remaining salt, pepper, herbs de provence and garlic powder. 
4. Sprinkle the inside cavity of the chicken with 1 tsp of the seasoning blend and then stuff with the quartered onion and orange. 
5. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with the remaining seasoning blend and place onto a roasting rack above the fennel and onions. 
6. Roast uncovered in a 325 degree oven while you make the glaze.
7. To make the glaze, melt the marmalade into 1 cup of chicken stock in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and add the thyme and vinegar. Let boil 5 minutes until it reduces slightly. Add the cornstarch to the remaining tbsp of chicken stock to make a slurry and add to the glaze. Stir until slightly thickened and then turn to low.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven after it's roasted an hour, lift the rack off the fennel and onions and give them a good toss. You will do this periodically (about every 20 minutes or so) until the chicken is cooked. The idea is to get the fennel and onions nice and brown and caramelized as they will act as a substitute for gravy. 
9. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, glaze the chicken every 10 minutes or so with the sticky marmalade sauce.
10.  Roast for 2-3 hours until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
11. Slice. Serve the chicken over a bed of the fennel and onion, drizzle with the remaining glaze, and sprinkle with sliced toasted almonds.