Chicken Traybake with Bitter Orange and Fennel

Directions

1. 1
   Remove the fronds from the fennel and put them in a resealable bag in the refrigerator for serving.
2. 2
   I discard (that's to say, eat) the tubey bits of the fennel, but if you have a roasting pan big enough, use everything.
3. 3
   Cut the bulbs of fennel into quarters and then cut each quarter, lengthways, into Leave on the cutting board while you get on with the marinade.
4. 4
   Placing a large resealable bag in position inside a wide-necked measuring cup or similar, pour in the oil, add the orange zest and juice (and lemon juice, if using), and spoon in the salt, fennel seeds, and mustard.
5. 5
   Stir briefly to mix.
6. 6
   Remove the bag from the cup and, holding it up, add a quarter of the chicken pieces, followed by a quarter of the fennel pieces, and so on until everything's been used up.
7. 7
   Seal the bag tightly at the top, lay the bag in something like a lasagna dish, and squelch it about so that you make the small amount of marinade cover as much of the chicken as possible.
8. 8
   It will look as if it isn't enough, but it is, I promise.
9. 9
   Leave in the refrigerator overnight or up to 1 day.
10. 10
    When you want to cook, remove the marinating chicken and fennel from the refrigerator and tip the contents of the bag - marinade and all - into a large shallow roasting pan (I use a half sheet pan with a lip of 1/2 inch).
11. 11
    Using tongs, or whatever implement(s) you prefer, arrange the chicken pieces so that they are sitting, skin-side up, on top of the fennel.
12. 12
    Leave it for 30 minutes or so, to come up to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
13. 13
    Drizzle some more golden oil onto the chicken, and cook in the oven for 1 hour, by which time the fennel will be soft and the chicken cooked through and bronzed on top.
14. 14
    Put the chicken and fennel onto a warmed serving plate and put the pan over a medium heat (use a saucepan if your pan isn't stove-friendly) and boil the juices, stirring as you watch it turn syrupy; this should take about 1 1/2-2 minutes in the pan, and about 5 in a saucepan.
15. 15
    Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken and fennel, and then tear over the reserved fennel fronds.