Pair tart apples with chicken and fennel for an easy fall dinner

By Beth Dooley The Minnesota Star Tribune Chicken roasted with apples and fennel a perfect fall pairing is both weeknight simple and dinner-party worthy Seasoned with rosemary thyme and sage and drizzled with olive oil the chicken turns tantalizingly crisp while the rendered fat bastes the onions apples and fennel until they re meltingly tender You want a good sharp apple such as Haralson to cut through the richness of the dark meat the acidity also gives the dish a lift The caramel notes of the crisped chicken skin echo that of the roasting apples Do include the fennel While certain folks are put off by raw fennel s pushy licorice taste the flavors mellow as its edges soften and become slightly sweet and lush Together the apples and fennel become a nutty duo more than the sum of their parts Fennel is more versatile and easier to work with than celery its tough stringy cousin Fennel is also hardy enough to prepare in advance Remove and discard the hard end of the bulb then slice or chop it up and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator Save the stalks for soup and the fronds for garnish This cool-weather crop is now at its peak as are our local apples When at the farmers arena taste the apple samples and choose your favorites Both are fabulous raw and cooked This roast chicken apple and fennel recipe is easily doubled for built-in leftovers which can become the foundation for lunches and simple dinners Toss the chicken into a salad simmer the cooked veggies together in a stock for soup or tangle with pasta and top with sharp cheese Try the apple-fennel slaw to serve alongside it will last a scant days in the refrigerator too Take a little extra time on Sunday and make it easy in the kitchen through the week Roast Chicken With Fennel and Apples Serves to Chicken thighs are roasted with tart apples and fennel for a quick full-on autumn dinner Sharp bright apples amplify the mellow anise notes of fennel to give the rich thighs a lift Serve with a crisp apple-fennel slaw on the side From Beth Dooley to lb bone-in skin-on chicken thighs patted dry small onion thinly sliced medium fennel bulb fronds removed cored and thinly sliced tart apple such as Haralson or Keepsake cored and thinly sliced tbsp olive oil Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper tbsp mixture of chopped fresh parsley rosemary and sage c hard or sweet cider Fennel and apple slaw see recipe Directions Preheat the oven to degrees Place chicken thighs in a -quart baking dish Tuck the onion fennel and apple slices around the chicken and drizzle the olive oil over all Sprinkle with the salt pepper and the fresh herbs reserving particular for garnish Add the cider Roast until the chicken becomes crisp and the vegetables become caramelized and tender about to minutes basting occasionally with the pan juices If the chicken skin is not fully crisped run the chicken under the broiler for about to minutes Serve with fennel and apple slaw Simple Fennel and Apple Slaw Serves to Use this crisp slaw to accompany the Roast Chicken With Fennel and Apples From Beth Dooley tbsp apple cider vinegar tbsp maple syrup or honey tsp coarse mustard tbsp sunflower or hazelnut oil large fennel bulb sliced thin large tart apple cored and sliced thin small onion thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste c chopped toasted hazelnuts or walnuts Directions Related Articles Quick Fix Sangria Pork Chops with One-Pot Orzo and Broccoli Recipe This spicy olive dish from an acclaimed chef delivers the heat This Lemony Garlicky Chicken Is the Ultimate Fall Dinner Need a treat Here are our best fall baking recipes Five Weeknight Dishes Quick and Customizable Burrito Bowls and More In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar maple syrup and mustard and then whisk in the oil Put the fennel and apple into a medium bowl and toss with the vinaigrette Season to taste with the salt and pepper and serve topped with the nuts Beth Dooley is the author of The Perennial Kitchen Find her at bethdooleyskitchen com The Minnesota Star Tribune Visit at startribune com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC Subscribe to our weekly newsletter In The Know to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox