Preheat oven to 375°.

With the tip of a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the chicken cartilage at the end of the breastbone; remove cartilage. Turn the chicken, skin side up. Cut lengthwise down each side of the spine leaving the chicken in two pieces. Cut through the skin separating the thighs from the breast and slice through the joint of the thigh, repeat for the other side. You’ll be left with two legs/thigh pieces and two breasts/wings.

Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in an oiled casserole dish. In a medium pot, heat ¼ cup oil and sauté onion, fennel, fennel seed, and garlic until caramelized. Add onion/fennel mixture to tray of chicken and add remaining oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 30¬–45 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and the internal temp is 165°.