Roasted fennel augments cozy winter dish

Another month of winter is ahead of us, and even if the weather improves we still have winter and autumn produce aplenty.

This recipe is an easy, warming main dish, with everything roasted on a sheet pan once some prep is accomplished.

The fennel used here was harvested by master gardeners, so it was the entire plant, including the feathery fronds, which I used for garnish. If you can't find a complete plant, just go for the bulb and garnish with some parsley.

I used boneless chicken breasts, cut into thigh-size pieces, but boneless or in-bone thighs also work well here. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time. And I love baked apples, but even tart firm ones got a bit too soft in this recipe, while the pear pieces were perfect. Next time: All pears.

Don't skip the step of toasting the fennel seeds, which are then ground and used to spice the chicken.

Sheet-pan chicken with fennel, apples and/or pears

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, boneless thighs or bone-in thighs

3 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 medium fennel bulb, outer leaves removed, then cored and thinly sliced; fronds reserved for garnish

2 tart apples, or 2 Bosc pears, or 1 of each, cored and quartered

4 sprigs rosemary, torn into smaller pieces

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the fennel seeds in a small, dry skillet, and toast them for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat, shaking the pan as necessary.

Let the seeds cool briefly, then chop roughly, or pound them into a powder or grind in a spice grinder.

Toss the chicken pieces in a large bowl with the fennel seed powder, 1 tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper.

On the sheet pan, toss the slices of fennel and onion with the remaining oil. Spread them into an even layer. Scatter the rosemary sprigs over the vegetables, then put the chicken pieces on top of the rosemary. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Roast for 15 minutes, then add the apple and/or pear pieces to the sheet pan.

Roast for 10 to 15 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. If you want the chicken to have some crispy brownness, turn on the broiler and broil it for about 2 minutes.

Serve the chicken and vegetables on a platter and garnish with reserved fennel fronds.