INGREDIENTS
1 (3 1/2- to 4 pound) chicken, spatchcocked
2 tablespoons fennel seed
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons, quartered
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Using paper towels, pat the chicken dry. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet (you can also use a very large 10- to 12-inch ovenproof skillet).
Grind the fennel seed in a spice mill or mortar and pestle (alternatively, chop it with a knife or smash it in a ziplock bag with a heavy skillet) and place it in a bowl with the hot paprika, salt, smoked paprika, pepper, garlic, and olive oil, and smear all over the bird. Skin side, underside, in every nook and cranny possible. Rub any of the leftover mixture onto the quartered lemons and scatter them around the chicken.
Roast the chicken until it is completely tender and cooked through and the lemons are soft and jammy (perfect for squeezing), 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
The drippings from this particular chicken are truly magnificent. Fiery orange, deeply savory, and just the most delicious thing on the planet. Do not waste these drippings. Instead, drizzle them over the chicken once it's carved.
