Roasted Chicken with Clementines is a masterful Yotam Ottolenghi recipe from his seminal cookbook, Jerusalem. This easy sheet pan chicken dinner has layer upon layer of flavor punctuated by those gorgeous charred clementines!
Chicken with clementines is another tribute to the new cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, the two London-based chefs who grew up in opposite ends of Jerusalem and have teamed together to share classic dishes filtered through their very different perspectives.
This is one of those dishes that just goes off in a new direction for most of us…fennel, clementines, anise liqueur and thyme is a potent mix of flavors. Then, because it’s cooked at a very high heat, it all caramelizes into a masterpiece. I just love the crispy chicken next to those bright charred clementines.
There are several layers of anise flavor in this dish with the fresh fennel, fennel seeds, and the anise liqueur. There is a sweetness from the orange juice and the brown sugar, a slight bitterness from the clementines, and a sharpness from the mustard and lemon. The aroma of fresh thyme hovers over it all. It’s sophisticated and unusual.
The green grocer at my store pointed me to these small local tangerines. They aren’t quite as tiny as clementines, but any small tangerine you can find will work.
The recipe calls for arak, a middle eastern anise liqueur, but you can substitute any similarly flavored variety like Pernod or ouzo. And, if you’re like me and you don’t have any of those in your collection, try buying a couple of small airline sized bottles.
I love the look of the grainy mustard in the sauce…you just know it’s going to be delicious.
I made a few changes in the recipe and so I rewrote it in my own words. I found that my sauce evaporated completely in the high heat of the oven, so I doubled the original amount and added more at the end of the cooking. Don’t try to stuff everything into a small casserole; your chicken will simmer instead of brown. And make sure your oven is hot.
I highly recommend this cookbook, you will be so inspired by the recipes and the glorious photos. You can purchase it on Amazon.
Featured comment
“It was one of the most delicious suppers I have made, but then I love all of the ingredients. Except the grain mustard which I usually don’t like but it just melded with everything else to make a fabulous sauce. Definitely winter dinner party time!” ~Veronica
Roasted Chicken with Clementines
Equipment
- large roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup arak, an anise liqueur, substitute Pernod or ouzo, I used Pernod.
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp grainy mustard
- 4 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 medium fennel bulbs trimmed, halved lengthwise, and then cut each half into 4 wedges
- 1 large chicken, cut into eight pieces
- 4 clementines cut horizontally into 1/4″ slices, leave the peel on
- several fresh sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
- 2 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed (I use a rolling pin)
- salt & freshly ground pepper
- flat leaf parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Set oven to 475F
- Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl to make the sauce, and set aside.
- In a very large baking dish or baking sheet arrange the chicken, skin side up, fennel and clementines. Everything should be more or less in one layer so the chicken will brown nicely.
- Sprinkle everything with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add the fennel seeds and the thyme. Pour half of the sauce over all.
- Put the pan into the hot oven. The high temperature is important, make sure you are at 475F. Let the chicken roast for about 35-45 minutes until everything is browned. Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven heats unevenly.
- Meanwhile take the other half of the sauce and put it in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce it a bit. Pour this over the chicken about 10 minutes before it is finished cooking.
- Serve the chicken garnished with some fresh parsley, or more fresh thyme.
Notes
Nutrition
I tried to find this famous and fabulous recipe to cook in a Ninja Foodi. It’s so difficult not having an oven! Well, I couldn’t find one anywhere so I thought about how to go about it for days! I was so excited to give this clementine and fennel recipe a try! So, today I created my own interpretation and I loved the flavors so much! I followed the recipe except used Sambuca. I had to get wildly innovative when it came time to cook and crisp the chicken. So deliciously scrumptious you will not be disappointed when you make this for company in your oven.
Made this tonight. We loved it. Such wonderful flavour. Only had white wine. Still marvellous!!
I’m wondering what to serve with this dish. I’d love some suggestions. I don’t want to just do plain rice.
When I spend time on a nice main course like this I usually go easy on myself with the sides…how about a couscous mix, the pine nut would be nice, and some roasted asparagus, broccoli, or green beans?
I used Resers Scalloped Potatoes. I am not a fan of commercially prepared foods, but these are very good, and easy when you need a little help putting a meal together. The reviews are great for this product.
We served two sides: plain couscous with lots of butter, and fresh blanched peas sauteed in butter, chopped shallots, and rehydrated mint. We did not bother making a gravy since the couscous absorbs so much juice…we just served ourselves from the baking dish and scooped the juice onto to the couscous with a serving spoon. Excellent!
THANK YOU for offering the vodka substitute. I try to like Ottolenghi’s recipes, but they always include AT MINIMUM (usually several) one ingredient I can’t get in my rural area! I look forward to trying this recipe now!
Keep up the substitutions!
You might want to try Veronica’s suggestion, in the comment below, to use Cointreau, that worked out great for her!
I made this with a few potatoes tucked in and also used Cointreau instead of Arak. The flavor was less aniseed more orange which worked well for me. It was one of the most delicious suppers I have made, but then I love all of the ingredients. Except the grain mustard which I usually don’t like but it just melded with everything else to make a fabulous sauce. Definitely winter dinner party time!
Great idea to use the Cointreau, that sounds like it would go well with this dish.
What happens if I lower oven temp…I made my own licorice liquor with a licorice stick and vermouth…yumm
You could cook it longer at a lower temperature Eliz, but the chicken won’t get as crispy and golden. Love your homemade liqueur!
If clementines are out of season, would you use oranges?
You could experiment with different citrus fruit, including oranges.
Just found the link for your recipe over at Milk and Honey. I adore the Jerusalem cookbook, it’s become my very favourite recipe source in recent months. I haven’t tried this particular recipe yet, it looks beautiful! Such vibrant colours, flavours and spices. I definitely want to give this a go. Your photos are beautiful and you write so well… very glad to have found your blog! x
Welcome in Laura! I love this dish too, in fact I just made a roasted salmon with clementines last night — that guy is a genius!
Sue, this is such a winning recipe. So many things about it call out to me. And, only as an adult…do I LOVE black licorice now. I am definitely going to make this one.
is it strange that every time i see a clementine dish, a certain song pops into my head and refuses to leave? oh, my darlin’, oh, my darlin’, oh, my daaaaaarlin’ clementine. 🙂