Baked Chicken With Mustard, Parsley And Fennel

Before we bid farewell to the cold weather for good, let's enjoy one of the most delicious vegetables from the colder months while they are still cheap and plentiful - fennel.

Fennel, despite its versatility is not the most popular vegetable around. Many find the aniseed flavour too overpowering in its raw state but not knowing the strong taste does mellow down after a little cooking, a bit like a feisty young woman transformed into a gentle motherly figure overnight.

This is also one of the dishes I cooked recently that I can claim as my own. The recipe is dead simple with easy and affordable ingredients and it is easily adaptable. I have successfully cooked this using figs in summer; so do try it if figs are still plump and plentiful on your side of the world.

P.S If figs are used, scatter fig halves over the chicken before baking.

recipe from the tummies' kitchen
oven preheated at 220 C (conventional)
serves 4
you'll need;
8 pieces of chicken thighs, removed excess fat
1 large or 2 medium size fennel, trimmed and cut into wedges
2 cups of chicken stock
olive oil for cooking
crusty bread for serving

for the marinade;
1/2 bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
juice and rind from 1/2 a lime
juice and rind from 1/2 a lemon
4 tbs of French mustard
3 tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the marinade and marinate chicken pieces for at least an hour.

Remove (but reserve) most of the marinade from the chicken pieces and brown them in batches with a little olive oil until golden on both sides.

Pan fry fennel wedges in batches until golden.

Pour in the stock and the reserved marinade and bring it to a simmer. Check for seasonings.

Arrange chicken pieces in a roasting pan and pour the flavoured stock with fennel over. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve chicken and fennel with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the delicious "sauce"