Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Fennel

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Photo: Jonathan Lovekin
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Servings:
4

Flattening a whole chicken (a technique called spatchcocking) helps to put this roasted chicken dinner on the table in a hour, while wrapping the bird in salty prosciutto imparts irresistible flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (3 ½ to 4 pounds)

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 large firm apple, such as Fuji, cored and cut into 8 wedges

  • 1 bulb fennel (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into ½-inch wedges

  • 1 bunch leeks (about 3), white and light-green parts, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices, cleaned

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

  • ¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto

  • 10 to 15 fresh sage leaves

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove backbone from chicken. Flip chicken breast side up. Press firmly on the breastbone to flatten. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

  2. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss together apple, fennel, leeks, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter around chicken. Cover chicken with prosciutto, overlapping slices and tucking edges underneath. Toss sage leaves with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and scatter on top. Roast until prosciutto is crisp, chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees), and vegetables are tender and golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Loosely tent chicken with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Cook's Notes

This chicken is spatchcocked, a funny-sounding term that means removing the backbone and flattening the bird. This way, it cooks in about half the time!

Here's how to do it: Use kitchen shears to remove backbone (save for stock). Flip the chicken over. Press firmly on the breastbone, cracking it, to flatten.

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