Wicked Good Roast Chicken with Fennel, Beets and Lemon

Wicked Good!  And simple to prepare.  Cooks in about 1 1/2 hours.

Recipe for four:

1 whole chicken, cut into four pieces
4 small beets, peeled and quartered
2 lemons, quartered
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced thick
1 whole head of garlic, seperated, leave skins on
2 handfulls cherry tomatoes, whole
2 cups white wine
1/3 cup white vermouth
1 cups chicken stock
olive oil
3 T butter
6 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Set the oven to 325* - Coat the chicken with olive oil and season with a good amount of salt and pepper.  Arrange the chicken along with all the ingredients (except the tomatoes) in a large roasting pan, and cover with foil.

Place in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes.  Then remove the foil, add the tomatoes and increase the heat to 425* - Cook for another 45 minutes uncovered.   What you're trying to do here is brown the chicken and reduce the liquid to about a 1/2 a cup, just enough to sauce the meal.

Serve onto warm plates with jasmine rice.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes