Meat mains
Chicken with fennel
This fragrant chicken and fennel casserole is a great summer lunch or dinner. Eat with green or runner beans, new potatoes and some good quality bread to mop up the juices. For this recipe, you will need a large casserole dish that can go on the hob and a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- olive oil
- 1 chicken, jointed into 8, or 8 chicken thighs
- 2 onions, red or white, finely sliced
- 2 pinches of chilli flakes
- 1 generous pinch saffron
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs
- 2 glasses white wine
- 2 tins of tomatoes and a few fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1 orange or lemon, zested
- 2 bay leaves
- a few sprigs of thyme
- parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
First, dry fry the fennel seeds and coriander for about 1 minute until fragrant and grind together.
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Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the casserole dish and season the chicken. Brown the chicken in 2 batches until golden all over and set aside
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Step 3
Then add the onions and fry gently for 5-10 minutes until they start to go translucent. Add the chilli flakes, ground spices, saffron and garlic.
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Step 4
Trim off any tough outer leaves on the fennel. Cut each bulb in half through the base and into 6-8 wedges. Add to the onion mixture, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.
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Step 5
Add the tomatoes and stir in the chicken, zest, bay and thyme. Cover and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
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Step 6
Cook for about 45 minutes – the chicken should be completely cooked and beginning to come away from the bone. Serve with a little olive oil and perhaps some finely chopped parsley.
