Roasted Cranberry-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potato-Fennel Fricassee

1.

Pre-heat the oven to maximum, usually 550 degrees, with roasting pan pre-heating.

2.

In a large bowl, combine garlic, potatoes and fennel and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little canola oil and toss to coat. When oven is preheated, dump mixture in roasting pan and top with chicken, breast side up. Turn pan once, back to front, until browned, about 15-25 minutes.

3.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan coated lightly with oil, combine onion, ginger and cranberries and sweat. Add palm sugar and deglaze with Shaoxing, stirring; allow to reduce by half. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend smooth, drizzling in just enough oil to bring everything together and emulsify. Take care in allowing any steam to escape through the top center of blender cover, using a folded kitchen towel and your hand to cover the opening in the center. Season and check for flavor.

4.

After 15-25 minutes of cooking, start to glaze the chicken with cranberry mixture, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cover with foil. Stir the veggies. Roast for 45-55 minutes more, glazing periodically, until a wing can be moved back and forth with ease. Alternatively, place a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone -- when it registers 160 degrees, it's done (carry-over cooking will take it to 165 degrees).