Citrus Roast Chicken & Fennel

Citrus Roast Chicken & Fennel

Inspired by the Citrus Braised Fennel in the Cornersmith Cookbook. I love that their recipe said ‘make this one!’ And was so glad I followed their advice. I’ve added chicken to make it a complete meal and swapped to cooking in the oven instead of the stove top so it’s less labour intensive but still just as delicious!

1 large bulb fennel sliced 1cm (1/2in) thick
juice & zest 1 lemon
juice & zest 1 orange
6 chicken drumsticks
green salad, to serve

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Place fennel in a baking tray, preferably so it sits flat in one layer but don’t stress if you need to overlap a bit. Sprinkle over zest and juice of your lemon and orange and top with chicken. Add 1/2 cup water and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt.

2. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes.

3. Uncover and turn chicken. Roast for another 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and fennel is tender.

4. Taste cooking juices and add more salt if needed. Serve with green salad on the side.

Variations

porky – replace chicken with thick pork sausages. Or cook fennel on its own with the citrus and serve with BBQ or grilled pork chops.

vegetarian – replace chicken with a drained can of chickpeas tossed in for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve with roasted almonds or pine nuts. You could also serve citrus fennel with pan fried halloumi.

other chicken – use breasts or thigh fillets and remove when cooked (will take 30 mins or less) or serve fennel as a side to a classic roast chook.

herby – toss in a few springs of thyme.

carb lovers / more substantial – toss in cooked rice, quinoa or couscous to soak up the citrusy goodness. Or serve with roast or boiled spuds.

other citrus / lower carb – try lime instead of the orange.

short on time – use boneless chicken breast / thighs and increase temp to 250C (480F). Will take 20-30 mins.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

fennel – will keep for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge.

lemon / oranges – whole lemon will keep wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge for months.

chicken drumsticks – freeze them.

salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the salad separately. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week or can be frozen.