'Nduja is our secret weapon for adding rich complex flavors to otherwise simple dishes. Serve this with a salad of bitter greens and crusty bread for soaking up the juices.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole roasting chicken (3-4 pounds)
• 2½ oz La Quercia ’Nduja, at room temp
• ½ stick (2 oz) unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 large onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into wedges
• 1 head fennel, trimmed, cored, and cut into wedges
• 1 head garlic, broken into cloves (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Combine butter and ‘nduja, folding together until uniformly combined. Set aside.
2. Prep the chicken: Dry the chicken well, inside and out, with paper towels. Place chicken in front of you with legs facing away. At the chicken’s neck, carefully slide your fingers down in between the skin and the flesh, loosening the skin across the breast. Flip chicken over and repeat this process, loosening skin across the chicken’s back and thighs. Use your fingers to spread ‘nduja butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, in between the skin and the flesh of the bird, concentrating on the breasts and thighs. Massage the final tablespoon of ’nduja butter over the surface of the bird, concentrating on the wings and legs.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper, inside and out, and place on a roasting rack, breast side up, in a wide, shallow roasting pan. Roast chicken for 15 minutes. Toss vegetables, including cloves of garlic still in their paper, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add to the pan.
4. Roast chicken and vegetables another 30 minutes until vegetables are caramelized and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh registers 165°F. Allow chicken to rest at least 10 minutes before carving. Enjoy!