It is the dead of winter. Many of you just received a measurable snowfall and your children are likely off of school today. The skies are gray, it is cold, and everything is covered in a blanket of white. But, today is Hot & Spicy Food Day, and I am here to share a recipe from Food & Wine that will perk-up your eyes and tickle your tongue. This dish is packed with flavor, but it was a bit too spicy for me. I like nice warm heat from darker chilis. This dish, however, delivered a kick to the front of the tongue. While the author of the recipe suggested the dish would be best served with a baguette for sopping up the braising liquid, it’s not that type of dish for me (unlike when you cook mussels or clams which leave a savory broth). I needed something to help cool my palate and I have a perfect accompaniment for you…but, you’ll have to wait until next week to get that recipe!
Citrus and Fennel Chicken with Olives and Calabrian Chiles
adapted from Food & Wine, Justin Chapple
I’ve tamed this slightly to make the dish enjoyable, as opposed to a challenge to eat due to the spice.
4 chicken leg quarters
1 garlic bulb
1 tbsp fennel seeds
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry sherry
¾ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives + 2 tbsp oil from the jar
4 jarred Calabrian chilis + ¾ tsp chili oil from the jar
1 fennel bulb
Cara Cara or navel orange, sliced ½ inch thick slices
Lemon, sliced ½ inch thick slices
½ of a preserved lemon
Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a braiser, or large skillet, set over medium-high heat.
Brown the chicken on both sides, then remove from the pan, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
After you remove the chicken, place the head of garlic, cut-side down, into the pan and brown, approximately 1 minute. Remove and place with the resting chicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir-in the fennel seeds. Stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add in the stock, sherry, olive brine, and chili oil and season with salt and pepper. Place back on the burner and use a wooden spoon to loosen up the fond from the bottom of the pan.
Place the chicken back into the pan, skin-side up. Place the garlic halves into the pan, cut-side down, touching the bottom.
Thinly slice away a portion of the butt-end of the fennel bulb. Chop off the stalks and reserve. Then cut the bulb into sixths and tuck into empty spaces in the pan. Add the sliced citrus around the edges of the pan and sprinkle on the calabrian chiles and olives.
Once the liquid returns to a boil, cover and place into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes until the fennel has become tender.
While the chicken cooks, slice away the citrus from the preserved lemon half, leaving just the rind, and mince finely. Pick off some of the fennel fronds from the reserved fennel stalks and chop finely.
When the chicken has fully cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the minced preserved lemon peel and fennel fronds, and serve.
______________________________ Copyright 2024, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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