Roast Chicken with Five-Spice Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 (6-pound) whole roasting chicken
• 1 medium fennel bulb with stalks
• 12 thyme sprigs, divided
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed and divided
• 4 lemon wedges
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 1 whole clove
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 onion, vertically sliced
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 orange rind strips
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. 2. Discard giblets and neck from chicken. Trim tough outer leaves from fennel; mince feathery fronds to measure 2 tablespoons. Remove and discard stalks. Cut bulb into quarters. Place 1 fennel quarter, 6 thyme sprigs, 4 garlic cloves, lemon wedges, 1/2 cinnamon stick, and whole clove in body cavity. Combine fennel fronds, oil, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks. Rub salt mixture under skin. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs together with twine. Place chicken on the rack of a roasting pan. Arrange remaining 4 garlic cloves, remaining fennel quarters, and onion in bottom of roasting pan; place rack with chicken in pan. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes.
3. 3. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.
4. 4. Add remaining 6 thyme sprigs, remaining cinnamon stick half, wine, broth, orange rind, and star anise to bottom of pan; baste chicken. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes; baste chicken. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165°. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes.
5. 5. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 5 minutes (fat will rise). Seal bag; snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into roasting pan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits, until reduced to 1 1/4 cups. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, apricots, and butter. Serve sauce with chicken; discard skin before serving.