Chicken And Fennel Salad Sandwiches

• 3 whole chickens
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted and cooled, then lightly crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3cups chopped fennel bulb (sometimes called anise; from 2 to 3 medium bulbs, stalks discarded)
• 12 rolls or buns
• an instant-read thermometer

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425u0b0F.
2. Rinse chickens inside and out and pat dry. Stir together salt and pepper, then sprinkle over chickens inside and out. Put 1 tablespoon softened butter evenly under skin of each breast, then rub remaining tablespoon butter over skin of each. Arrange chickens in a 17- by 12-inch shallow heavy baking pan and roast, switching position of chickens and rotating pan halfway through roasting to help cook evenly, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170u0b0F, about 1 hour. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Discard skin and bones from chickens, then coarsely shred meat and transfer to a large bowl.
4. Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, zest, lemon juice, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and basil, then pour over chicken in bowl. Add chopped fennel and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve chicken salad in rolls.

chickens, salt, black pepper, unsalted butter, mayonnaise, plain yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, fennel seeds, salt, black pepper, fresh basil, fennel bulb, rolls, thermometer

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-and-fennel-salad-sandwiches-235020 (may not work)