Fragrant Chicken Thighs And Fennel Recipes

FRAGRANT CHICKEN THIGHS AND FENNEL

Steps:

• For the slowcooker: Place chicken thighs in bottom of slowcooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with thinly sliced fennel, onion, garlic, stewed tomatoes, brown sugar and wine.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• For the oven: Preheat to 375. Place chicken thighs in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with all remaining ingredients.
• Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until juices run clear.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GRAPEFRUIT-FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 475 degrees F. Coarsely grind the coriander and fennel seeds in a spice grinder or crush with a heavy skillet. Put the chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with the spices; season with salt and pepper and toss well.
• Drizzle the baguette slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat; add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Carefully arrange the baguette slices on the hot baking sheet. Put 1 chicken thigh on each baguette slice. Roast on the bottom rack until the chicken is cooked through and the baguette is browned and crisp on the bottom, 15 to 17 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel the grapefruits with a paring knife; cut out the segments and transfer to a bowl. Squeeze in the juices from the membranes and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Trim and core the fennel; finely chop the fennel bulb and 1/4 cup fronds and add to the bowl along with the parsley. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss well.
• Divide the bread and chicken among plates. Spoon the grapefruit-fennel salad over the chicken and top with the cheese.

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about 1/2 cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and purée.
• Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife.
• Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan.
• Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add sliced fennel and onion, seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
• Serve chicken and vegetables topped with generous dollops of the fennel frond purée.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH OLIVES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side; remove to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the fennel chunks, leeks and garlic; season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to wilt and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the olives and lemon slices and cook until the lemons brown around the edges, about 2 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the skillet and add the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to medium high; bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the fennel fronds. Top each serving with parsley.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle bottom of shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel. Overlap pieces if necessary but use whole pan. Drizzle remaining oil over fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up chicken if necessary and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
• Top fennel with the chicken parts, skin side up. Ideally, you'll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but it's fine if some of the fennel roasts uncovered. Spoon some of the oil from bottom of pan over chicken. If there is not enough, drizzle additional olive oil over the chicken. Roast about 15 minutes, then baste chicken with pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust oven temperature so chicken browns but does not burn.
• The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with some fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine fennel wedges, artichokes, tomatoes and 3 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat. Spread in an even layer.
• In a small bowl, combine garlic, ground fennel, rosemary, sage and the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper, then rub with spice mixture. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables skin-side up.
• Roast until vegetables are tender and chicken is golden and crisp and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Divide chicken and vegetables among plates. Pour pan juices into a small bowl, let settle and then skim off the fat with a spoon. Stir in olives, lemon juice and red-pepper flakes (if using). Spoon sauce over chicken and vegetables. Serve warm.