Susan found this recipe for me.
Based on the following recipe from Melissa Clark of The New York Times. According to the newspaper:
“Beautiful to behold and easy to make, this sheet-pan dinner combines sweet plums and soft red onions with crisp-skinned pieces of roasted chicken. Toasted fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes and a touch of allspice add complexity while a mound of fresh torn herbs crowns the top. If good ripe plums aren’t available, you can substitute another stone fruit including peaches, nectarines or pluots, though if your fruit is very sweet, you might want to add a squeeze of lemon at the end. Serve this with rice pilaf, polenta or warm flatbread for a festive meal.”
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- Large pinch red-pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into parts (I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs.)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 cups ripe, soft plums, pitted and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced from root to stem in 1/2-inch wedges
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- ⅔ cup torn mint, basil or cilantro leaves (or a combination)
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
Preparation
- Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour seeds into a mortar and pound with a pestle until coarsely crushed (or lay seeds on a cutting board and pound them with a can or jar).
- Put the seeds into a large bowl and stir in lemon juice, zest, garlic, honey, allspice and red-pepper flakes.
- Season chicken generously all over with salt and pepper and add to the bowl, turning the pieces to coat them with marinade. Mix in plums and thyme sprigs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the chicken pieces, plums, and thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking pan. Add onions, spreading them out around the chicken and plums. Season plums and onions lightly with salt. Drizzle everything with olive oil.
- Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes, removing the white meat if it’s done before the dark meat.
- Transfer chicken pieces as they are done to a platter. Spoon the plums and onions around the chicken. Drizzle a little of the pan drippings over the chicken and serve, garnished with the herbs and flaky salt.
I served this with Israeli Couscous with parsley and mint.
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