Just like that, we’ve gone from 90 to 55 degrees here in New Jersey overnight
Time to hunker down with some roast chicken, and nothing says Fall like my Bacon Bourbon Apple Fennel Chicken
This recipe serves six to eight, so you can cut in half, or just enjoy leftovers, like we do in our home
I like uncured bacon with no added sugar or preservatives for this recipe, and use whatever apples I have on hand, which is usually Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji
Granny Smith would also work well and add a slightly tart flavor to balance the richness and smokiness of the bacon
Bacon Bourbon Apple Fennel Chicken
- 5 pounds of bone in chicken*
- 5 strips of uncured bacon
- 1 fennel bulb (trimmed of fronds and cored, fronds reserved for garnish if desired)
- 2 Vidalia onion (peeled)
- 2 apples
- Flour (salt, and pepper for dredging chicken)
- Salt and pepper to season vegetables and apples
- ½ cup bourbon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees convection roast
- Place bacon strips in a large baking pan, and bake on center rack until crisp, turning once, about 10 minutes
- Remove bacon to a paper towel, and leave bacon drippings in pan
- Dice fennel, onion, and apple into ½ inch pieces, and toss in baking pan with bacon drippings
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Dredge chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper
Arrange dredged chicken over diced veggies, skin side up
Roast until chicken in minimum 165 degrees internal temperature, and chicken skin is crispy
- Turn oven up to 450 degrees, and sprinkle bourbon evenly over chicken
Return to oven and bake about 5 minutes more
Crumble cooked bacon into 1/4 inch pieces
Serve chicken over apple, onion, fennel mixture, and garnish with bacon pieces and fennel fronds, if desired
*I use a mix of thighs and legs, and choose organic where possible
You can use rice flour to make this gluten free
